


Gray Skies with a Hint of Gold

by EmperorMinhyun



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Artist Felix, Business Man Changbin, Changlix Endgame, Dark Blue and Moonlight AU, Eungwang is the sun, Fluff and Angst, I hate myself for ruining my boys, I love my boy Song Eungwang, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Infidelity, M/M, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-06-23 14:32:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 39,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15608355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmperorMinhyun/pseuds/EmperorMinhyun
Summary: Felix is an artist, dreaming of a better life, but stuck painting a twisted version of his reality. Changbin is a young executive at a large company, but he feels stuck in life. Through a series of accidents, the two meet, and are instantly drawn to one another. But will that be enough to keep them together?(Dark Blue and Moonlight AU)





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Join the discord server https://discord.gg/YzaKGnE

**Gray Skies with a Hint of Gold**

**Chapter 1**

A bright array of paints filled Felix’s field of vision as he browsed through the art store. Pausing briefly at the selection, he carefully picked a pale shade of blue, almost icy in color. It would be perfect for his next painting—a continuation of the hellscapes he had been working on.

Felix placed the paint in his basket, carrying it up to the front of the store for the cashier to ring it up, along with the new charcoal pencils and other paints he had grabbed. Seeing a sale for canvases, he grabbed one, adding it to his pile and quickly paying.

When he got outside, he slung the small canvas over his shoulder, tying it with a string he had asked for in the store. He secured the bag of art supplies to his bike, making sure they wouldn’t fall off on his journey back home, before peddling down the street in the direction of his house.

The sun shined brightly on him, highlighting the hints of gold in his hair. The birds chirped, filling the quiet afternoon as he rode down the empty street. His house wasn’t too far away from the store, and he was excited to finish his current painting, so before he knew it, he was home. He carefully got off his bike, carrying it inside of the gate and placing it against the wall. He took his art supplies off, carefully maneuvering inside the house to drop off both the canvas and the new materials in his art room.

Felix hummed to himself, thinking about the finishing touches he was going to add to his current painting as he made his way to the improvised art room. He had run out of a specific shade of red, and he was eagerly awaiting the chance to finish the finer details of his painting.

When he entered the room, he noticed his grandmother sitting in front of his canvas, a paintbrush in hand. Felix rushed over, shock holding his mouth open—the entire painting was ruined. Gone was the dreary blacks and whites that had made up his morbid painting, only highlighted by hints of dark red. In its place stood colors way too bright, stroked wildly across the canvas. The small boy he had been working on was now messily clothed, covering up the painstaking details Felix had painted on to mirror malnutrition.

“What were you thinking, grandmother?” Felix exclaimed, hurt lacing his deep voice.

“I’m helping you finish it,” she said with a small smile on her lips, adding another messy stroke of color. “Doesn’t he look much happier now?”

“Grandmother,” he whined, turning to grab a rag and the paint stripper he used when he messed up. “I was supposed to turn this in at school—it counts as a test!”

Felix quickly worked on cleaning the painting, the brighter colors smearing across the canvas as he tried to rub them off. The painting was ruined however, and there was nothing he could do to fix it, but he damn well was going to try.

“I can’t turn this in grandmother—I’ll have to paint it again,” he whined, before setting down the paint stripper and digging the heel of his now free hand against his skull. “I won’t be able to get it done in time,” Felix muttered, his voice now soft, but too deep to clearly hear.

Felix grabbed the rag again, and continued to scrub at the painting, trying to remove any hint of the bright colors that his grandmother had painted on, but the paint just continued to smear. Logically, he knew the painting couldn’t be salvaged, but he still continued to try and fix the painting.

“I was just trying to help son.”

“I’m not your son grandmother! Your son is still at work,” he said harshly, turning to glare at his grandmother. Realizing what he had just done, he glanced away, shame settling across his features. “I’m your grandson, remember?”

“Oh, I forgot I was in the middle of knitting a new scarf for you,” Felix’s grandmother started awkwardly. “I’ll go and finish it.”

She slowly got up and shuffled out of the room as Felix continued to scrub at the ruined painting. Felix turned his head, watching her leave. He hadn’t meant to get upset with her, he knew she really did think she was helping, but he had been very proud of that painting. It was his best one so far in the hellscape series he was doing, and he had been planning on turning it in as a project in his art class.

Felix stared forlornly at the painting, thinking about how good it could have been. He gave a final soft scrub, before he put away the rag and paint stripper for the moment. He would have to quickly repaint this—the project was due at the end of the week and it was already Tuesday—but he knew that it would be nowhere near as good as the original had been.

* * *

Changbin sat bored at the head of the table. While being an executive at a large company had its perks, it went without saying that it had its downfalls as well. One of them being that he had to sit and listen to the useless prattle of his employees every time they wanted to start a new project, or in this case, when they fucked up.

“What did the CEO tell you? Did he tell you the direction he wanted to go in?” Changbin asked, mentally done with the meeting, and his employees.

“Please don’t get mad after I say it, sir,” one of the board members nervously started.

“I just asked you to tell me, didn’t I? Why would I get mad?” Changbin asked, his patience thinning.

“The CEO said we should apologize to the clients in person,” the same board member said quietly, his head ducked.

Changbin turned slightly, his chair swiveling a little to the right, holding back an annoyed sigh. That didn’t stop the annoyed look that crossed his face as he linked his hands together. He quickly smoothed his features out before he addressed the board.

“Okay. Begin preparations for a gift when apologizing tomorrow,” he said, his tone not giving any hint of his annoyance at the situation. “Jisu, place the order for the gift after the meeting. A case of hanwoo should do nicely. Siwon, you go with them tomorrow.”

“But sir, the CEO wanted you to do it personally,” the board member from earlier added.

“Why should I go,” Changbin asked, leaning forward slightly, unamused with the situation. “This was the sales department’s fault, not mine. Why would an executive from the marketing department have to go there?”

“The CEO told me that the executive of the sales department is abroad currently. Since you are the executive of the marketing department, you can substitute for him.”

Changbin leaned back in his chair, sighing slightly as he buttoned his suit back up, his face once again blank. He stood up, grabbing the files in front of him. He slammed them down in front of his assistant Jisu, before making his way out of the conference room.

He was done with these people.

Changbin made his way to the restroom, stopping in front of the sinks. He splashed some cold water on his face, trying to calm himself. He glared at the mirror, a few drops of water still sliding down his cheeks. He slowly stood back up, straightening his suit in the mirror and adjusting his tie.

As he turned to make his way back to his office, his phone started to vibrate. He pulled it out, checking the caller ID, which read ‘Minjun.’ He slowly swiped to answer the call.

“I was in a meeting,” Changbin said, answering the other man’s question, his voice sounding a little stuffy. “I’m alright—I didn’t catch a cold. Just some… I’d rather not talk about it right now,” he added, pausing slightly between sentences to listen to Minjun.

“What do you want for dinner?” He asked, changing the subject. “I have a swimming class tonight, but I can order you something,” he said, pausing to hear the response. “Okay. See you tonight.”

He quickly ended the call, placing his phone back in his pocket. He sighed lightly before making his way out of the bathroom.

* * *

Felix sat, staring at the painting. He had tried a couple more times to get the paint off, but there were still smears of bright colors on top of the canvas. He looked up, hearing his dad enter the house, before he went back to attempting to clean the canvas.

He could hear his father moving about the living room, setting down his keys and what sounded like a plastic bag.

“Have you had lunch yet mom?” His dad asked his grandmother, although Felix could barely hear it.

 He didn’t hear his grandmother reply, so he once again tuned out the sounds from the living room. Felix knew he really should work on repainting, but he just kept coming back to clean the painting—hoping that he could somehow save it.

“Where’s Felix?” He heard his dad ask, before he heard loud footsteps moving in his direction.

He turned his head, staring at his father who was now in the doorway.

“Why did you buy those things again,” his father angrily asked, nodding towards the bag of new art supplies that Felix had placed on the counter, forgetting to put them away in the rush to try and save his painting. “I told you to drop out of the art department and study something that could actually get you a job.”

Felix glanced down, avoiding his father’s eyes. He knew he should study for a degree that could give him a stable job, but art called to him—it always had. He didn’t want to study for a job that would make him miserable.

“Don’t tell me you spent all of your money on that shit,” his father said, sounding exasperated.

Felix stood up, glaring slightly at his father. This wasn’t the first time they had argued about his pursuit of art.

“Did you even cook for your grandmother,” his father bit out.

“Of course I did,” Felix nearly spat at his father, walking past his father to stand in front of him, closer to the living room. “Your mother ruined my painting,” he added, glaring once again at his father.

“Who cares if she ruined it! I never wanted you in that department in the first place! You were supposed to stay home and watch your grandmother, or at least study for something that can get you an actual fucking job, but you can never do anything right, can you?” His father exploded. “Maybe that will teach you a lesson.”

“I just went out to go shopping!” Felix snapped back. “That’s your mother. Why do I have to be the one that takes care of her?”

His father suddenly grabbed him by the collar, yanking Felix towards him. He stared at his son, anger burning sharp in his eyes.

“You,” he growled out, his voice nearly as deep as his son’s. “How can you say that? She’s your grandmother,” he exclaimed, ending the sentence with a sharp smack to Felix’s face.

Felix’s grandmother slowly made her way towards the pair, staring in concern at her grandson. She hobbled slightly in front of him, blocking him from his father and separating the two. She stared curiously up at her son, slowly edging her way further in front of Felix.

“Who are you,” she asked, staring up at her actual son. “How dare you come in to my house and hit my child!” Felix’s grandmother exclaimed, pushing his father away as she fully stood in front of Felix.

“Mom,” his father called out, trying to calm his mother down as she tried to push him further away from Felix.

“Leave or I’m calling the police!” She shouted back, protecting her grandson.

“Mom, I’m your son,” he said, shaking her shoulders slightly as if it would help her remember. “Felix is your grandson,” his father added, nodding in his direction.

Felix just stared at the scene, a sad look in his eyes as he cradled the side of his face that had been hit. He really loved his grandmother, even if she was really forgetful and made things worse when she tried to help.

“He’s my son,” she called out, still angry with Felix’s father. “You’re just some intruder! Get out of my house!” She yelled, before trying to smack Felix’s father.

“Grandmother,” Felix called out, trying to intervene. “I’m your grandson, grandmother. He’s your son. How hard is it to remember that?”

He sighed, trying to break the two apart. While he appreciated his grandmother trying to stand up for him, it really was growing old having to tell her several times a day that he was her grandson.

“I can’t go to school because of you—I have to stay home and make sure you don’t get into trouble. All the other kids get to hang out, but I’m stuck here with you,” he                 said, turning towards her, suddenly angry at the situation.

He wasn’t mad at her though, he could never be mad at her—upset yes, but never mad. That didn’t stop his mouth from saying shit like he was.

His father smacked him again, harder this time. He fell to the floor, cradling his cheek once again.

“You mind your tongue boy,” his father growled out.

Felix slowly got up, and shuffled with his head down out of the hallway, through the living room, and into his room. He quickly packed a bag, grabbing his swimsuit and googles. He briefly touched his cheek, hissing at the pain. He really hoped it didn’t bruise.

He carefully made his way out of his room, glancing around to make sure his father wasn’t in sight as he left the house. He grabbed his bike, quietly making his way through the front gate before shutting it just as carefully. Hopefully going for a swim would be enough time for him and his father to cool down.

* * *

Felix glided through the water, the repetitive strokes calming him down. There was something about swimming that somehow almost always managed to calm him down. It was almost as therapeutic as painting was to him, but there was the added bonus that he felt no stress when he messed up a stroke.

He did another lap in the pool before he pulled himself out of the pool, ready to take a break. He sat on one of the chairs near the water, where he had set his phone, content to observe the other swimmers do laps of their own.

He glanced over, noticing one of the instructors giving a swimming lesson. He seemed to be giving a dry-land demonstration on a simple stroke. He looked slightly to the left, glancing at the person the instructor was teaching. There stood a handsome, if not slightly short, man, his expression stony.

 _Fuck, I’m gay,_ Felix thought to himself, not so subtly checking the other man out.

“You’ll want to keep your fingers together while swimming,” the instructor said, although it was quickly tuned out as Felix continued to stare at the pretty stranger. “It creates less drag in the water. Make sure to keep your arms close to your body, and keep your hands together. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” was the man’s reply, his voice just as pleasing as his appearance.

Felix ducked his head away, turning before he could be caught staring at the stranger. Besides, the man was probably straight anyways. There was no way Felix had a chance.

“You want to circle,” the instructor added. “It wastes less energy and is easier on your muscles. Practice breathing while you do this.”

The pretty stranger nodded, before beginning to practice the stroke the instructor had just demonstrated, a look of pure concentration on his face.

Felix carefully brought out his phone, acting like he was checking a message. Slowly, he tilted the camera so it faced the pretty man, and he took a picture. He blushed slightly, feeling slightly guilty as he turned away from the stranger. He was really glad his ringer was off.

“Do you think you have it?” Felix could hear the instructor ask.

“Yes,” the stranger answered.

“Good. I want you to practice on your own for a bit.”

He carefully peaked at the stranger, watching him enter the shallow end of the pool, before beginning careful laps with the stroke he had just learned. While he mostly drowned out the instructor in favor of watching the pretty stranger, Felix could hear him flirting with some of the girls there. He rolled his eyes, realizing that had been why the instructor wanted the pretty stranger in the water.

He noticed the stranger struggling a bit, seemingly not used to the feel of the water as he began to swim towards the deeper end of the pool. He was sure the stranger would get the hang of it eventually though.

Felix saw the other man reach down into the water, as if to clutch his leg, before the man went under and started flailing. Felix jumped forward, eyes wide as the stranger started to drown. His eyes darted towards the instructor, noticing that he was too busy flirting with the girls to realize his student was drowning.

He quickly dove into the pool, swimming as quickly as he could. He grabbed the other man, pushing him up so his head could be above the water. Luckily, the pool was still shallow enough for him to stand. The man flailed a little, before going limp as Felix pulled the two of them towards the edge of the pool.

The man sent a thankful glance his way, clinging to the side of the pool as he sucked in much needed breaths.

“The pool is totally safe with me in here,” Felix heard the instructor say as he pulled himself out of the water. He smacked the guys shoulder, mad.

“Did you not just see someone was drowning,” Felix bit out, his voice lower than normal due to his anger.

The instructor stood up, glaring at Felix for interrupting him.

 “What the hell,” the instructor muttered, his face scrunching up in annoyance.

“Isn’t this your job? What the hell were you doing,” Felix growled out, glaring up at the instructor. “Too busy hitting on chicks to notice someone drowning?”

“I was instructing them,” the other man huffed out, too proud to admit his mistake in front of the girls he had been flirting with.

Felix just scoffed, before turning to help the stranger out of the water. He sent the instructor a glare over his shoulder as he pulled the other man up.

“Are you okay?” Felix asked, concerned.

The stranger’s eyes widened slightly as he looked up at Felix.

“I’m fine,” he muttered, glancing away. “Thanks,” he added, before making his way towards the changing room.

Felix nodded, before turning to chew out the instructor. That was completely irresponsible of him, and he would be lucky if he wasn’t fired when Felix was done with him.

* * *

Changbin stood in the changing room, drying his hair. He was already dressed, so this was the last thing he needed to do before he had to leave. As he was putting his blow drier away, he heard the slap of wet feet against tile. Looking up, he saw the boy who had saved him earlier.

 _Fuck, he’s pretty,_ Changbin thought to himself as the boy sent him a small smile while he placed his phone on the counter.

Changbin slowly made his way over, grabbing him lightly and pushing him against the wall. He stared up at him slightly, resting his hand on the wall beside the boy’s head. He leaned in, capturing the boy’s lips in a kiss. He was worried for a second, about to pull away and apologize, when he felt the boy’s hands in his hair, tugging him closer as the other boy began to kiss back.

The kisses stayed closed, despite heating up rather suddenly. Changbin quickly found the hand he had placed against the wall in the other boy’s hair, gripping it tightly—but still careful of the bruise that had formed against the other boy’s cheek—while his other hand slid around the boy’s waist.

He sucked on the other boy’s upper lip, tugging on it gently with his teeth, before pressing a gentle kiss on his lips. He pulled back slightly, staring up into the other boy’s eyes.

“Thank you for saving me earlier,” he said, his voice slightly husky. “What’s your name?”

“Lee Yongbok, but most people call me Felix,” the other boy rasped out, his pretty face flushed and his lips swollen from kisses.

Changbin quickly dove into another kiss, suckling on Felix’s bottom lip. He tugged on the pretty brown hair in his hand, a please smirk tugging at him lips as he felt Felix gasp.

“Fuck, your voice is hot,” he murmured against Felix’s lips, before kissing him once again.

Changbin slowly pulled back again, the pleased smirk returning when he saw the blissed out expression of the other boy. He gave another brief tug to Felix’s hair, enjoying how Felix’s pretty mouth opened to let out a brief gasp.

“Give me your phone,” he said, looking into the other boy’s eyes, the smirk still teasing his lips.

Felix nodded, dazed. He slowly made his way back towards the counter, grabbing his phone and unlocking it before handing it to the stranger.

Changbin hummed, opening the app for contacts and putting his number in.

“I know you took a photo of me,” he said, putting the last few digits of his number in. He selected the picture icon, selecting one of the photos that Felix had taken of him. “It’s not bad.”

Felix blushed, glancing away from the handsome stranger’s face. He hadn’t realized he had been caught taking the photos.

“That’s my number,” the pretty stranger said, handing him his phone back. “Make sure to call me,” he added, before leaning in for another kiss.

Changbin pulled back, smirking at the boy once again. He reached up and ruffled Felix’s pretty locks, before he turned and grabbed his bag, walking out of the changing room.

Felix stared after him, still dazed. His hand slowly went up, feeling his slightly swollen lips. He could still feel the heat of the pretty stranger’s lips. Realizing what he had just done, he quickly glanced down to the phone in his hand. He turned it on and pulled up the contacts, checking for the new number. He smiled to himself, seeing it saved under ‘Binnie.’

* * *

Felix stood in the shower, lightly tugging at his hair. The feeling of ‘Binnie’ tugging on it still filling his mind. He could still feel what it had been like to have the other boy’s lips against his. His hand slowly came up to touch his lips again, still not quite believing he had made out with a stranger in the middle of the changing room.

He quickly finished his shower, trying to distract himself from the stranger. He got out, changing quickly into his clothes. He made his way to his bag, packing his swimsuit and towel into a plastic sack to keep them from soaking the inside of the bag.

He was about to leave when he realized he didn’t have his other towel—the one he had used to dry off before coming into the locker room to get changed (and thus proceed to make out with a hot guy). He made his way back into the pool area, staring at the new phone number with a fond smile.

He glanced up, noticing the instructor from earlier coming towards him with a couple other guys. He tried to move to the side, to give them some space to walk by, but they just moved with him. One of the guys bumped into him, pushing him slightly back towards the pool.

“You’re good at saving things, right?” The instructor from earlier growled out, grabbing Felix’s phone. “Then go save this,” he said, before he tossed the phone into the pool.

“What the fuck,” Felix growled out, glancing towards the water as his phone sunk deeper.

He turned his head, about to yell at them for throwing his fucking phone into the water, but he was met with three sets of arms, pushing him into the cold water after his phone.

Seeing no point in coming back up to yell at them, he quickly turned over in the water, searching for his phone. Just as he was about to break to go back up to the surface, he spotted it. He quickly swam over there and snatched it up, before shooting back up to the top. He panted loudly ad he breached the surface, trying to catch his breath as he made his way to the edge of the pool.

He angrily glared up at people who pushed him in, before stalking out of the pool towards his bike.

* * *

Changbin walked up to the door of his apartment, twisting the key in the lock. He paused, hearing voices inside.

“This was when you were small,” he heard someone ask, chuckling lightly at the end.

“I look pretty ridiculous, don’t I?” Someone else replied.

Changbin removed his key from the lock, fulling opening the door. He closed it softly behind him before walking into the living room.

“Oh hey babe,” his boyfriend Minjun called out, before turning back to the other man on the couch. “Come look at Siwon when he was little. He looks so old fashioned,” Minjun said with another laugh.

Siwon stood up, nervously glancing at Changbin.

“Uhm, boss, I came here to double check on the time and the people going tomorrow,” he said nervously. “I saw it on the work chat, but I wanted to make sure.”

Changbin sent him a brief glare, before glancing over to Minjun. He turned his gaze back to Siwon, making sure his face remained blank this time.

“I just read it in the car. The information is correct,” he said, turning to leave the room.

 “You hungry babe?” Minjun asked, looking up from the phone. “Do you want me to make you something?"

"I don’t feel well. My head hurts,” Changbin said, before making his way to the bedroom.

“I want to eat,” he heard as he made his way out of the room. He felt his face twitch slightly at this.

He went to his bed, taking off his shoes and his suit before he laid down. He let out a huff and Minjun’s behavior, before rolling over on his side, curling up slightly. He thought about the pretty boy with the large bruise and deep voice he had met today, a small smile tugging at his lips as he fell asleep.

* * *

 

Felix pulled up to his house, hearing the low buzz of the bugs awake for the night. He slowly brought his bike inside, placing it inside the gate. He entered the house, shutting the door softly behind him. He took his shoes off, then entered the living room. When he looked up, he noticed his father reading.

“Where have you been,” his father asked, setting down the book he had been reading. “And why are you dripping wet?”

“I went swimming,” Felix replied, looking at the ground.

“So you didn’t bring a swimsuit? You just went in fully clothed?” His father asked amused.

“I did,” Felix added slightly louder than before, still looking down though. “May I go now?”

His father shushed him, pointing in the direction of his grandmother’s room.

“Keep it down. Your grandmother just went to bed.”

Felix nodded slightly, still looking down at the floor. He heard his father get up and pass him, most likely going to the bathroom. With his father out of the room, Felix carefully crept to his room, quickly taking off his soaked clothes and exchanging them for a pair of comfortable pajamas.

When he was done, he pulled out his phone, trying to turn it on. He plugged it in, trying to see if that would help. Nothing happened though—the screen remained black. He tossed his phone on the floor, rubbing his forehead as he tried not to get too upset.

He curled up on his bed, trying not to think of the worse possible outcomes as he fell asleep.

* * *

 

Changbin felt the bed dip, waking him up from his light slumber. He glanced over at Minjun, too tired to bother rolling over to face his boyfriend, before he closed his eyes. He felt Minjun curl up behind him, nuzzling his face against Changbin’s shoulders, squeezing his waist lightly.

“I know you’re awake,” Minjun started. “You can’t sleep without me, after all,” he added.

Changbin just ignored him, trying to go back to bed. He didn’t want to talk with Minjun right now.

“Sungmin told me what happened today. Just go and apologize. You won’t lose face if you do it. Just think of it was if you were an actor,” Minjun said, lightly rubbing his back.

Changbin rolled over, his face inches away from Minjun.

“So you’re just acting right now?” He asked.

“What do you mean,” Minjun asked back, a confused chuckle leaving his mouth before he leaned forward slightly, barely an inch of space between their lips. “What role am I going to play,” he teased.

Minjun suddenly leaned down, pressing a kiss to Changbin’s lips. Minjun’s right hand moved to cradle the other’s face as he tugged Changbin’s bottom lip into his mouth. His left hand wandered down, slowly teasing a nipple. Changbin gasped in surprise, opening his mouth—which Minjun quickly took advantage of.

Minjun opened his mouth, his tongue slipping into Changbin’s open mouth. The sound of wet kisses quickly filled the air as Minjun’s tongue slipped further into his boyfriend’s mouth. He pulled back slightly, peppering Changbin’s face with open mouth kisses.

“Fuck, you’re hot Binnie,” MInjun rasped out, before he began to suckle along Changbin’s jaw and neck.

He slowly made his way down his boyfriend’s neck, giving a harsh suck to Changbin’s clavicle, his boyfriend letting out a small moan in response. He smirked slightly, before he continued to move down, his tongue teasing a nipple as his hand came up to lightly pinch at the other. Changbin let out a light gasp as a whine began to build low in his throat.

(All he could think about though was the beautiful boy he had met at the pool—all he could think about was Felix.)

Minjun kissed his way back up, placing an open mouthed kiss on the other’s lips before he sat up, pulling off his shirt and straddling Changbin. He leaned down, grinding slightly against other as he went back to kissing the other.

A smirk tugged at his lips as he ground down again, feeling Changbin begin to harden beneath him. He rolled his hips again as he began to suck harshly on the other man’s lips, before slipping his tongue back inside.

Changbin let out a low moan, his hands gripping Minjun’s waist to pull his back down against him, rutting slightly against him as he imagined Felix.

He quickly flipped them, moving his hands up Minjun’s hair, tugging harshly. He kissed his way down his boyfriend’s body, nipping at his toned stomach. His hands slowly moved down Minjun’s body, teasing his nipples slightly before his hands landed on Minjun’s thighs. He squeezed them, before spreading Minjun’s legs slightly as he nosed as the elastic lining his boxer-briefs.

“Please,” Minjun moaned out, his hands tangling in Changbin’s hair.

(Changbin wondered how Felix would sound as he moaned. Would it be breathy and high, or would it be low and deep?)

Changbin slowly pulled down Minjun’s boxer-briefs, tossing them aside before turning back to Minjun. He stared up at his boyfriend, a small smirk forming as his hand slowly wrapped around Minjun’s cock. His thumb teased the slit, his other hand pressing keeping Minjun’s hips pressed against the bed as he slowly began to stroke his cock.

Minjun let out an anguished cry, his hips trying to buck up to chase the hand that was torturing his poor cock.

“Faster,” he whined out, his face flushed a pretty red.

(Changbin wondered how Felix would react. Would he beg? Would he be demanding? Would he top? Bottom?)

Changbin paused, his hand halting to almost no movement at all.

“I don’t think I heard you right Junnie,” he teased.

“Please,” he whined out. “Please, go faster.”

Changbin hummed, pausing as if to consider the request before sent a dangerous smirk Minjun’s way, wrapping his lips around the tip of the other’s cock. He slowly made his way down, the tip hitting the back of his throat before he bobbed back up. He teased the slit, tasting Minjun before bobbing back down and repeating the process.

Before too long, he felt Minjun tugging his hair, pulling his head up. He harshly sucked the tip of Minjun’s cock, before releasing it with a loud pop. He started up at Minjun, giving his cock a small kitten lick.

“Fuck me please Binnie,” he panted out, a dazed look in his eyes.

Changbin reached over to the bedside table, opening the drawer and grabbing the bottle of lube and a condom, dropping them on the side next to Minjun. He squeezed some of lube on his fingers, before slowly pushing one inside Minjun.

He keened, his cock heavy against his stomach as Changbin slowly stretched him open with a finger.

“More,” Minjun whined out, rutting against the finger.

Changbin slowly inserted another finger, slowly scissoring as he pumped his fingers in and out. He noticed that it was a lot easier to prep Minjun that usual.

“You fingered yourself earlier, didn’t you,” Changbin mused aloud, slowly pumping his fingers.

“Yeah,” Minjun breathily admitted, pushing himself further onto Changbin’s fingers.

“Then you wouldn’t mind if I did this—“he said, pressing in a third finger.

Minjun let out a loud moan, his hands clenching the sheets as Changbin continued to stretch him. Changbin moved his fingers around—looking for Minjun’s prostate when he heard a loud wail. He smirked to himself—looks like he found it. He quickly pressed against the sweet spot again, loving how it reduced Minjun to a quivering mess.

“Fuck me now Binnie—please,” Minjun cried out, fucking himself on Changbin’s fingers at this point.

Changbin slowly removed his fingers, noticing how Minjun whined at the loss. He grabbed the condom, tearing it open and rolling it onto his own cock. He flipped Minjun over, grabbing some pillows to put under his to support his hips.

Slowly, he lined himself up, teasing Minjun with the tip of his cock. Minjun kept pressing back, a whine escaping his lips every time he missed impaling himself on Changbin’s cock. Changbin grabbed Minjun’s hips, holding the other still as he carefully pressed the tip of his cock inside. He slowly started to push in, stopping when he bottomed out to give Minjun time to adjust.

“Move Binnie,” Minjun whined out impatiently, wiggling against Changbin to try at get him to move.

Changbin laughed slightly, giving Minjun’s hips a light squeeze before pulling back until just the tip was inside and pushing slowly back inside. He nearly moaned himself at how good Minjun felt as he set a steady pace.

He rolled his hips, pressing deeper inside of Minjun as he started to fuck him harder. He reached down, grabbing Minjun’s cock and stroking in time with his thrust. Minjun let out a loud moan, pressing himself back to try and take Changbin in deeper.

“I’m close Binnie,” Minjun moaned out, clenching tightly around Changbin.

Changbin grunted, squeezing Minjun’s hips harder as he fucked him faster. He was close too.

“I’m gonna cum Binnie,” he whined out.

Changbin sped up the pace of his hand, teasing the slit on Minjun’s cock as he continued to fuck him. With a loud cry, Minjun spilled into Changbin’s hand, going limp from the pleasure.

Minjun keened, wiggling slightly as Changbin continued to fuck him. He clawed at the sheets, a whine building in his throat from the overstimulation. Changbin rocked forward, all sense of rhythm lost, before he thrusted deep into Minjun, squeezing his hips tightly as he came, his cock twitching deep inside Minjun.

They both paused, panting heavily as they calmed down from the high. Changbin pulled out slowly, Minjun shuddering slightly at the feeling. He took the condom off, tossing it in the trash as he got up and made his way to the bathroom. He quickly washed his hands before making his way back towards the bed.

Minjun was already curled up, fast asleep on the messy bed. Changbin planned on throwing the sheets in the wash tomorrow, but right now he was content to sleep. He turned off the light, and laid down, sending a guilty look Minjun’s way before curling against him.

* * *

 

Felix stood at the store the next day, trying to see if there was anyway his phone could be fixed. His friend Chris snuck up behind, before lightly shoving him forward.

“What the hell dude,” Felix grumbled in English, before turning back to the shopkeeper, waiting for a response.

“You gonna buy a new phone?” Chris asked, switching back to Korean.

“I’m not buying a new one—I’m trying to see if I can fix my old one,” he replied before turning back to the store clerk. “Can it be fixed?”

“You’re probably better off buying a new phone,” was the store clerk’s response.

“You’re not just telling us that because you don’t want to fix the phone, are you?” Chris asked.

“It was damaged in the water and recharged, so it can’t be fixed,” the store clerk replied.

“Can the files be retrieved,” Felix was quick to ask, hoping to get the phone number back.

“Some files are saved on the sim card, so you can probably get those back.”

Felix hummed. He really hoped the number had been saved on the card, but then he heard the crushing words.

“I can’t get back any files saved on the phone though,” the clerk added.

Felix stared at the ground, his hands curling up into fists. There went his only way to contact the handsome stranger he met at the pool.

Chris immediately tried to cheer him up, trying to help him pick out a new phone. He just picked the cheapest one, switching it to his plan, before leaving the store, dejected.

* * *

 

Changbin walked through the living room, a new suit in his hands. He gently laid in on the couch, making sure it wasn’t wrinkled.

“I’m leaving,” he called out, starting to get dressed.

“I’m in the bathroom, wait for me!” Minjun called out.

“I’m gonna be late,” Changbin replied, walking towards the door. “I have to meet the clients today, and I’m picking up my mom,” he added.

Minjun quickly walked out in nothing but a towel, a large smile blooming across his face as he made his way towards Changbin.

“Your mom is coming over,” Minjun asked, his smile widening.

“Of course she. Why would I not invite her over—she’s my mom,” was Changbin’s reply.

“So, you’re going to tell her?” He asked hopefully. “Is this a gift for me?”

They had been dating for several years now, living together for almost two, and Changbin was still not out about his sexuality to his mother. It made his heart happy to know his boyfriend was finally ready to come out.

“Why would I get a gift for you?” He questioned Minjun as he continued to change his suit into the one he had laid out earlier. “It’s my mother that’s coming over.”

Minjun’s smile dropped, his expression turning from happy to slightly shocked.

“So it’s not my birthday present?” He asked quietly, glancing away from Changbin.

“Your birthday?” Changbin asked, tilting his head back towards Minjun.

Minjun looked away, fiddling his hands. He sighed lightly before turning back to Changbin, a sad look in his eyes.

“Today is my birthday babe,” he said softly.

“I’m sorry,” Changbin murmured, glancing away from Minjun. “I forgot.”

Minjun picked up a nearby pillow, throwing it at Changbin, glaring at the other. He was pissed.

“You’re fucking ridiculous, you know that right?” He nearly yelled at Changbin, wishing it had been his hands that had hit the other and not a pillow. “This is the third fucking year you’ve forgotten.”

“I have to go,” was Changbin’s reply.

He grabbed his suit jacket, quickly tugging it on. He grabbed his shoes, lacing them together before standing back up. He sent a glance Minjun’s way before turning and walking towards to door. Right before he opened it, he turned back.

“I really am sorry Junnie, I mean it. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow,” he added, before opening the door and leaving.

* * *

 

Felix and Chris were walking out of the store, Felix flipping through his new phone to check and see what was still there.

“Sweet,” he exclaimed. “The photo is still there.”

“What photo?” Chris asked, leaning over to see if he could see it.

Felix quickly turned his phone, showing the picture of ‘Binnie’ to Chris.

“Isn’t he pretty?”

Chris let out a low whistle, grabbing the phone to see the picture better. He zoomed in on the photo, letting out another whistle. The guy had a nice face, and a nice body.

“Damn, he’s a looker. He on the swim team?”

Felix let out a loud laugh, shaking his head no. Good enough to be on a swim team wasn’t the furthest thing from ‘Binnie.’

“He’s the worst swimmer I’ve ever seen hyung,” he said with another laugh.

“So who is he? What year is he in?” Chris quickly asked, wagging his eyebrows at Felix.

“I, um, don’t know his real name—only that his nickname is ‘Binnie.’ And he’s not a student,” Felix said nervously, hoping his friend wouldn’t get on him.

“So my little Felix has a crush on an older man—nice,” he said with a laugh. “You should ask him out.”

Felix quickly opened his contacts, scrolling through all the names. He couldn’t find ‘Binnie’ anywhere in his contacts.

“His number didn’t save,” he said sadly, starting down at his phone.

“No wonder you looked so sad,” Chris started. “Who knows though—maybe a better looking guy will cross your path,” he added softly.

”He’s different hyung,” Felix replied, pushing Chris away from his phone. He quickly put it in his pocket, making sure it stayed out of Chris’ reach as they began to walk home. “There’s something special about him,” he added with a soft smile, hoping to meet the other man again.

The two of them walked for a bit, comfortable in the silence surrounding them. They were good enough friends that they didn’t always have to talk to fill the silences—the brief periods of quiet comfortable and not awkward at all. When they got to the fork where there paths split, Felix gave Chris a brief wave.

 “See you later side dish,” he called out, before making his way back home.

A loud shout could be heard from Chris at the disrespect of his junior, but he left it alone, letting Felix have his fun. He figured it was the least he could do to cheer the other boy up.

Felix smiled as he walked, happy despite losing the phone number of the beautiful stranger he had met. At least he had the picture though, so he might be able to ask around the pool the next day and see if the staff knew who ‘Binnie’ was.

He carefully opened the gate to his house, closing it quietly behind him. He made his way to the front door, taking his shoes off and putting on house slippers before he went inside. Looking in the room, he saw his grandmother sitting in her chair as he put his bag down.

Felix made his way over to his grandmother. She looked to be sleeping.

“Hey, grandmother,” he called out, seeing if she really was awake. No response was given.

He sighed, before reaching down to grab a blanket, covering her with the soft fabric. Noticing the television was on, he grabbed the remote off the side table next to his grandmother and turned it off. She must have fallen asleep while watching a show.

Slowly, Felix sat down on the couch next to his grandmother’s chair. He looked at the table, noting how all his art supplies seemed to be how he left them before he went to see if his phone could be fixed. Nodding, he picked up one of his charcoal pencils, starting to build on the base he had created before he had left. Felix hummed, sketching light details. The smudges of charcoal slowly giving way to form a small bird reaching for the sky, reaching for its dreams.

When he was satisfied with how the bird turned out, Felix began to freely sketch. At first, he had nothing in mind, but slowly it morphed into a sketch of his stranger. He smiled, deciding to have a little fun with the doodle. He darkened his strokes around the eyes slightly, before blending it in. He highlighted the center of the lips as well.

Felix chuckled lightly at the drawing, staring at it in fondness. His stranger, while only drawn from the shoulders up, looked as if he was a devil, set on seducing you for your soul. Yet, somehow he also looked soft—as if he was a lover, a soft smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

His handsome stranger.

* * *

Felix found himself at the pool a week later, waiting for the stranger.

He had changed quickly, and swam a few laps before he waited. And waited. And waited. Felix found himself sitting at the edge of the pool for hours, hoping the stranger would show up. Yet, no matter how long he waited though, the stranger never showed up.

Felix slowly made his way back to the changing room, dejected after hours of waiting. He took a quick shower, washing off the chlorine that had dried in his hair and stuck to his skin, before he made his way back into the main room, getting dressed.

Out of the corner of his eye, as he was packing his suit into his bag, he saw someone pass through the room. He quickly turned, about to stand up when he realized it wasn’t his stranger, that it wasn’t the mysterious ‘Binnie.’ He flushed lightly, embarrassed as he sat back down and finished packing his bag.

Seeing as there was nothing else he could do to stall, Felix made his way out of the changing room. Rather than going straight for the exit, like he usually did, he walked up to the front desk.

“My phone was damaged, and I was wondering if I could check the security footage to see if I could figure out who did it,” he said awkwardly, glancing away from the girl who was manning the counter.

“When did this happen? Was it just now?” She asked, bored, not looking up from her monitor. Her nametag read Seoyeon.

“About a week ago,” he muttered shyly, embarrassed. He knew he probably should have reported this right away.

“Then I’ll need a police report,” she said, glancing up finally from her monitor.

“I don’t have one yet, but I really need to check the monitor,” Felix pleaded, hoping she would be nice enough to let him check the monitor.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t show you…” The lady said, trailing off at the end.

Another employee, hearing the situation, walked up behind Felix, placing herself beside him. She looked between the two of them, before speaking, figuring she should help him out since she was the manger

“I’m really sorry, but without proof of an investigation from the police, we cannot provide you with any footage off of the monitor,” she said softly, hoping that he would understand. “The police should be able to help you if you have any problems. The guys at the station nearby are really nice and helpful,” she added with a soft smile.

“Then, do you know who this guy is?” Felix asked, pulling his phone out and opening the picture of his stranger, before handing his phone over so the two girls could see.

“You took a photo in here? You do know photos are prohibited inside the building, sir?” The manager asked, pointing towards the board posting the rules of the pool. “It clearly says so over there sir. What are you trying to do?”

Felix bowed his head, pulling his phone back and turning it off before placing it back in his pocket.

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t know,” he apologized, slightly embarrassed. “I won’t do it again,” he added, bowing his head again slightly before leaving the building.

He slowly made his way towards his bike, hopping on gently before leaving the parking lot of the pool. He carefully pulled out, peddling softly out of the lot until he reached the hill at the end of the lot. His hand hovered over the brake, ready to stop the bike just in case as he was making his way down the hill when he saw a nice car pass by below where the road forked.

Felix craned his head, trying to look at the person driving the car. He could see them trying to look at him as well. He strained his neck further, finally catching a glimpse of the person as he turned onto another road—it was his stranger.

He turned around, hearing a car honk as he quickly made his way back to the intersection. He pulled up to the edge of the road, glancing down the direction his stranger had been travelling. The car kept going, another one following behind on the narrow road.

* * *

 

Changbin glanced back, pissed at the car behind him. He had been trying to back up to chase the pretty boy who had yet to contact him when they had pulled up behind him, not letting him continue. Annoyed, he continued forward, taking the road that led to the back section of the pool’s parking lot.

He parked his car, opening the door quickly to leave. He slammed the door, pissed but glad that his windows didn’t break. He made his way up to the front door, his face clearly showing how displeased he was.

Changbin made his way up to the counter, hoping that the girls would be quick.

“One ticket please,” he said, trying to be polite despite his displeasure as he paid the entrance fee.

As the girl was about to hand him his receipt, he saw her glance up at him. Her eyes widened, looking at him in surprise. He really hoped she wasn’t going to flirt with him—he really wasn’t in the mood right now. He saw her turned to the girl, pointing at him with her eyes still widened, whispering slightly.

The other girl, seeming more in control of the situation, quickly tore off the receipt and opened the till, grabbing his change.

“Four thousand won is your change sir. Thank you,” she said softly, handing him the bills and a receipt.

“He really looks like him,” he heard the other girl say, turning to the one who had just given him his change.

“Excuse me,” Changbin asked, looking at her confused.

“You really look like him,” she repeated, this time facing him.

“Like who?” He repeated, glancing between the two of them confused.

“You really look like this guy—“The girl started, before she was elbowed in the side by the other girl. A look of understanding settled across her face. “This guy who stole a wallet earlier. Don’t worry! We know you’re not him—you just look kind of similar is all.”

Changbin nodded, still confused. The other girl had obviously stopped her from saying something, but he wasn’t quite sure what. It didn’t seem like it would affect him however, so he made his way into the changing rooms, quickly stripping down and changing.

He hoped he could find Felix again after.

* * *

 

Felix peddled slowly down the road, his face drawn tight in disappointment. He had been so close to meeting his stranger, and yet he hadn’t been able to reach him.

Seeing a café on the side of the street, he decided to pull up. He parked his bike, carefully chaining it up, before walking inside and grabbing one of the open tables and setting his stuff down. Once his bag was settled, he walked up to the counter, ordering a drink.

When it was ready, he grabbed the hot cup, carefully making his way back towards his table. He set the mug down gently, making sure not to spill anything, before he pulled out his sketchbook and a pen and began to draw.

About halfway into his drawing, a flash of dark blue caught his attention. His head snapped up, his hand still poised and ready to add another stroke to his sketch. It was his stranger walking past the window.

Quickly, he grabbed his sketchbook and his bag, racing to get out of the café. In his rush, he nearly bumped into someone, and dropped his sketchbook in the process of avoiding them. All the loose sheets he had stuffed inside fell out.

“ _Shit_ ,” he muttered in English, bending down to pick up the papers.

By the time he made it out the café, his stranger was already gone.

* * *

 

_A glance_

_That’s all I can give you_

_I’m not wealthy_

_Not good enough for you anyways_

_But I can look and I can see_

_For that’s the only thing I can do_

_To look and dream of touching_

_What will never be mine_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I wanted to make a pretty boy like you smile though. Looks like it worked."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Join the discord server https://discord.gg/YzaKGnE

**Gray Skies with a Hint of Gold**

**Chapter 2**

Felix sat, lightly sketching while he sat outside. He shaded around the edges of the figure, highlighting his stranger. He smiled down at the drawings, proud of how realistic they had turned out. While they would never come compare to the real thing, they still looked pretty.

While he had been admiring the sketch, a girl walked up to him. She lightly cleared her throat, getting Felix’s attention. If he remembered correctly, she was in his advanced painting class.

“What are you drawing Yongbok? You know we have a test coming up, right?” She asked.

He tried not to wince at his name—he much preferred his English name. Yongbok reminded him of the situation his parents had created—divorced, with his father raising his only son in a country where he had not known the language while his mother stayed in Australia.

“Do you mind if I look at it when you’re done? I like to draw as well, but your drawings are some of the best I’ve seen,” she said, trying to flirt. She flipped her hair back, smiling widely at the pretty boy in front of her.

Felix wished he could tell her to stop as he glared up at her. He wished he could tell her that he was gay and end it at that. But he was afraid—Korea was much more conservative than Australia, and he had heard rumors about bullying gay kids in Korea suffered. While he doubted that would happen in college, there was still a small part of him that reminded him that it could.

“Please respect my privacy,” he settled on, standing up and grabbing his things, before turning and walking away from the girl.

He hoped that hadn’t been too rude. He didn’t want to appear mean to the people at the school, but he also didn’t want to deal with girls that wanted him only for his looks (or any girl for that matter really).

* * *

* * *

 

Changbin walked down one of the halls in the company, heading towards the meeting room his secretary had told him he was needed in. He walked in front of the door and checked his watch, noting that he should have left the office by now, but was otherwise on time. He was going to be pissed if one of his employees showed up late to this sudden meeting.

He entered the room, noticing it was dark. He quickly flipped on the light, before hearing a sudden shout of ‘Surprise!’ from all the people gathered around the table.

He glanced around, slightly confused. He could see Minjun holding a cake, and the rest of the employees he was close with were all decorated in party outfits. He could see a banner in the back of the room, along with confetti and streamers around the table.

Minjun set down the cake before walking up to him, guiding him and having him down in a chair that was artfully covered in streamers. His lips quirked up in a small smile at the antics of his employees and his boyfriend.

They slowly started to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him, Minjun quickly bringing the cake over and lighting the candles on it. He lit the last one just in time for Changbin to blow it out at the end of the song.

“Happy birthday babe,” he heard Minjun whisper, before he felt the light pressure of a kiss on his cheek.

The cake was quickly cut and passed out, along with glasses of wine. A loud _clink_ could be heard as everyone made a toast to his birthday, before sipping out of their glasses.

Soon, the party moved from the meeting room, to one of the lounge areas in the company. Changbin sat by himself, nursing his glass of wine, content with observing the party from the corner of the room.

Minjun slowly made his way over to Changbin, sitting down next to his boyfriend. He gently grabbed Changbin’s, knee squeezing it lightly, before taking a sip of his wine.

“Are you enjoying your birthday, babe?” Minjun asked.

Changbin wrapped his arm around Minjun, smiling lightly at the other boy. He took another sip of his wine, before gently kissing his boyfriend’s cheek.

”Thanks for doing this,” he murmured against Minjun’s cheek, before pulling back.

“You were shocked, weren’t you,” Minjun murmured, staring up at Changbin. “You looked scared shitless,” he added, laughing when he remember the expression his boyfriend had made.

“What do you think I was think of?” Changbin asked, chuckling slightly.

“You were thinking of how to run away, weren’t you?” Minjun teased.

“You know me too well,” he said with a soft smile. “Your shirt is nice,” he added, nuzzling his face against Minjun’s neck.

“You’re lucky compliments still work on me, Binnie,” Minjun teased, planting a kiss on top of his boyfriend’s head.

Changbin lightly smacked Minjun’s chest, placing a light kiss against his neck. He pulled himself closer to his boyfriend, hiding his face in the crook between his shoulder and his neck. He wasn’t feeling too well right now, and he figured it would be best to rest his eyes for a second.

“ _I love you Binnie_ ,” Minjun whispered in English, a soft smile on his face as he gently leaned down and gave Changbin a small kiss. “Happy birthday baby.”

Changbin just gave him a soft smile, lifting his head up slightly before reaching over and gently knocking his glass against his boyfriend’s, making another toast. They both took a long drink, stopping when they realized Siwon was in front of them.

“I thought I told you no talking about work during the party,” Minjun grumbled out, playfully glaring at Siwon as he moved off of Changbin’s laugh and into the seat next to him. “Go on now, shoo,” he added, flicking his hand as if to brush Siwon away.

Siwon let out a light chuckle, gently sitting down beside Minjun. He gave the other’s knee a light squeeze, before he down a little bit of his own glass. He turned towards the couple, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

“Just one sentence?” He whined, making puppy dog eyes at Minjun.

Minjun hummed, his face scrunching up as he playfully considered the other’s request. He covered his face as if deep in thought, before he took a quick sip of his wine.

“One sentence,” he started. “If it’s more than one—even if it’s two—I’ll have to punish you,” he finished with a cute finger wag and a playful wink.

Changbin just stared at the two of them, confused. He knew Minjun and Siwon were close, but it was moments like these, or finding the two alone together in his apartment, that made him question what their real relationship was.

“I can handle whatever punishment you give me, no problem,” Siwon replied playfully. “Can I say it now?”

It sounded as if the two of them were flirting, at least to Changbin.

“While you were in the meeting with the PR team earlier, the CEO told me that the clients thought you were really sincere when apologizing—all the purchasing orders for the next three quarters are ours,” Siwon said with a small smile, proud of his boss. “He said he wants to take our team out to lunch.”

Changbin in turn smirked slightly, taking a quick sip of his wine; his suspicion from earlier hiding away for the time being due to the good news. There was a reason why he had become an executive so young, and it was nice to know that the CEO appreciated his hard work.

“I hope he doesn’t—he really doesn’t know when to stop drinking. There’s never enough fun for him,” Changbin replied, thinking of previous times the boss had taken his team out to celebrate a job well done.

Siwon let out a small laugh, clearly remembering some of the things the CEO had done in the past.

“Where are you guys going? I want to come,” Minjun said, glancing between the two men sitting next to him.

“You wouldn’t like a place like that,” Siwon replied with a small chuckle, sending a small smile Minjun’s way. “No one really does—only the boss.”

Minjun pouted, playfully glaring at Siwon. If he hadn’t been holding a glass of wine, he most certainly would have crossed his arms to add to the look.

“But I’ve never been there,” Minjun said, continuing his act. “You should take me there and _broaden_ my horizons,” he added, smirking slightly at Siwon.

"You really wanna go then?” Siwon teased, sending a flirty smile Minjun’s way. “That…could be arranged.”

Changbin glanced at Siwon, before looking back towards his boyfriend, his suspicion back already. The two weren’t discreet at all. While he really wasn’t mad that Minjun was probably cheating on him, and probably had been for a while, he just wished they wouldn’t do it right in front of him.

Changbin knew he was far from the perfect man—the perfect partner. The distance he put between himself and the person he was supposed to be in love with, or his own infidelity more than enough proof of that. Still though, he tried to keep up the front of a trouble-free relationship for Minjun’s sake, if not his own. He just wished his lover could do the same.

“When will you take me?” Minjun asked, his tone flirty.

“When are you free next?” Siwon responded.

It seemed the two that the two of them had forgotten Changbin was there as well. _Figures,_ Changbin thought to himself, a sour look taking over his face.

He gently set his half full glass down on the table, done with Minjun and Siwon’s shit—on his birthday of all times—and he honestly wasn’t feeling good. He stood up and brushed some nonexistent dirt off his suit as he walked away, much to the slight shock of the other two.

As he walked away, he heard the rustle of fabric and the groan of the couch he had been sitting on as it took someone new. _Jesus, and I just got up too,_ Changbin thought to himself as he continued to walk away, the room looking slightly hazy.

“So, you really wanna go?” He heard Siwon ask Minjun. “You free tomorrow?”

“I can’t,” Minjun whined out. “Next week I should be through.”

Changbin glanced back at them, his face sour, before he turned and took a step forward, the room going dark.

Hearing the thud of a body, Siwon and Minjun quickly looked up. Seeing that it was his boyfriend who had fallen, Minjun quickly darted up, handing his wine glass to Siwon, before darting over to Changbin.

“Binnie! Binnie, are you okay?” He exclaimed, kneeling beside Changbin’s lip body.

“Call someone,” Minjun distantly heard one to the employees say.

“Quick! Hurry!”

* * *

 

Felix lazily toweled through his hair, placing his towel in his bag. He had brought it out to keep an eye on it, not wanting to lose anything else of his to the dicks that liked to hang around the pool. He quickly grabbed a shirt and put it on, before grabbing his phone and zipping the bag shut.

Slowly, he made his way over to the lifeguard on duty, turning his new phone on to pull up the picture of ‘Binnie.’ The lifeguard had been one of the lackeys that had tossed his old phone in the water, so Felix wasn’t expecting to get much from him, but he figured he would make the attempt.

He just really wanted to meet his stranger again.

“You got a new phone already,” the lifeguard asked, bored, as he stared at his own phone rather than watching the water.

“Do you know who he is?” Felix growled out, just wanting to get this over with. He made sure to hold onto his phone, not wanting a repeat of the last time he had interacted with one of these guys.

“Nope,” the lifeguard responded, popping the ‘p.’ He didn’t even look up to glance at the picture.

Felix sighed, annoyed at the situation. Without the head guard that had almost let his stranger drown, this guy didn’t seem too interested in causing trouble, so at least there was that. Felix just really wanted to find his stranger though, and it was the least the guy could do to help his after helping chuck his phone in the water.

“It was one the same day you assholes tossed my phone in the water—you know, the guy you and your buddies almost let drown just so you could hit on the girls?” Felix bit out.

“You sure have a good memory,” the lifeguard grumbled out, his face scrunching up in annoyance. “Look I really don’t know him.”

“Are you sure? Can’t you just look?” Felix asked, holding his phone closer to the guard.

“Are you deaf? I just said I don’t know him.” The guard responded.

“Look, we were supposed to meet up, but I never got his name. Can’t you just help me out?” Felix responded, trying not to curse at the lifeguard.

“Why do you keep asking me,” the guard bit out, obviously trying very hard not to swear. “Do you want me to toss your phone back in the water? I’d say I’d call my buddies back to give you a hard time, but a fag like you would probably like that,” the guard sneered out, losing his temper.

“ _Jesus Christ,_ ” Felix growled out in English, his voice deep and laced with anger.

“Just fuck off,” the guard spit out, pointing towards the door.

Felix glared up at him, fighting off the urge to punch the fucker right in the fucking face. He settled with flipping him off and giving him another pointed glare, before turning and making his way into the changing room.

* * *

 

Changbin stumbled out of his room, his head hurting like a motherfucker. His tie was slightly crooked and his suit was slightly wrinkled, but he honestly did not care—his head hurt that bad. He carefully made his way to his seat at the table, Minjun moving from his spot to help him sit down, his boyfriend’s robe opening slightly in the process to revel part of his toned chest.

“Here,” his boyfriend said, carefully sliding a bottle his way. “Painkillers.”

Changbin carefully tapped the pills into his hand, making sure to slide the extra one bake into the bottle. A glass of water quickly entered his vision, placed right by his hands. He looked up, seeing Minjun with a pitcher of water.

“Thanks,” he murmured, his voice rough.

He quickly tossed the pills into his mouth, before chasing them with a quick swallow of water. He sat there, nursing the glass of water, sending an appreciative glance Minjun’s way.

“I don’t think you can hold your liquor well anymore,” Minjun said, his tone slightly concerned. “You were never like this before,” he added, pausing slightly to look up.

Changbin sent a sad smile towards his boyfriend. He figured the alcohol had had a part in his collapse the night before, but he didn’t think that it was the only cause.

“You didn’t drink that much last night. You nearly gave me a heart attack when you collapsed,” Minjun continued, his face drawn tight.

Just as Changbin was about to reply—words already on the tip of his tongue—he heard the sound of footsteps. He glanced up, noticing Siwon walk into the dining room from what appeared to be the living room.

“Morning, sir,” Siwon greet cheerfully, a large smile on his face. “You have a really nice couch—I don’t think I’ve ever slept that good, even on my own bed.”

Changbin glanced to the side, noticing Minjun’s face brighten in response to seeing the other man. His head really did hurt too much to be dealing with this right now.

“Thank god Siwon was there last night—I probably would have passed out myself if he hadn’t have been there to calm me down,” Minjun said in a pleased tone, looking at Siwon. “Luckily you weren’t seriously hurt, otherwise we would have had to call an ambulance,” Minjun added, finally turning back towards Changbin.

“I didn’t know you were good at helping people calm down,” Changbin said, trying to be civil.

“It’s not really useful in marketing, now is it?” Siwon asked, chuckling slightly, Minjun joining in. “We just show the public what they want to see about the products—our job is to get the market interested, and keep them interested. As far as I know, breathing exercises are about as useful to marketing as publishing a print ad in an area populated mostly by people under 40.”

Minjun let out another laugh, gently elbowing Changbin in the side. His eyes crinkled up in mirth, completely overlooking the unamused expression on his boyfriend’s face.

“Isn’t Siwon funny, babe?”

Changbin stared blankly ahead, done with their shit. It wasn’t even eight in the morning, and he already felt exhausted. He really didn’t want to go into work today.

“We should probably go Siwon—we have a meeting this morning,” he said, once again trying to be civil, even though he would rather be doing anything else.

Changbin stood up, pushing in his chair. He made his way to the door frame, pausing while he waited for the response of his employee, his back facing the table.

“Go? But I haven’t even had breakfast yet,” Siwon whined out, sending pleading eyes Minjun’s way.

"I’ll buy you something on the way,” Changbin grumbled out, glaring at the hallway in front of him, just wanting to get out of his house.

“Babe,” Minjun called out as Changbin started to walk out the door. “You forgot my goodbye kiss,” he said, reaching an arm out and grabbing cutely at the air, beckoning his boyfriend over.

“Do I get one too?” Siwon cheekily asked.

Changbin turned his head, glaring at the other man. He could deal with their flirting, so long as they were blatant about it. While he wasn’t in love with Minjun anymore, he still loved his boyfriend and he treasured the stability of their relationship, it still hurt to see this, even if it wasn’t serious.

"Let’s just go,” he muttered, turning and walking out the door, not even bothering to give Minjun the kiss he requested.

* * *

 

The steady splash of water filled Changbin’s ears as he glided through the water, pulling to a gentle stop before the wall in front of him. He had become a much better swimmer since he had been saved from the beautiful Felix, but he would gladly trade this new ability for a chance to meet the other again.

He grabbed the side of the wall, gently easing himself out of the water, before sitting on top and lightly kicking his feet in the water. He glanced up, noticing his instructor beckoning him over. He pushed his hair back, before standing up and walking over to the life guard.

The guard brought them to the pool’s sauna room, quickly sitting towards the back. He mimed for Changbin to join him, patting the spot next to him. They sat there awkwardly, Changbin confused as to why his swimming instructor had brought him into the sauna.

“My friend said the guy came to find you the other day,” the life guard starting, breaking the silence. “Was making a real big deal about finding you—apparently he was fucking relentless. Even pulled up a picture and was asking for your name. Don’t worry though, my friend didn’t tell him anything. Sounds like you have a stalker to me.”

“Who?” Changbin asked, confused.

“Apparently, it was the one that yelled at me after saving you,” the guard admitted, glancing away from Changbin. “The fucking fag has guts—I’ll give him that. Still shows up even after we gave him a rough time.”

Changbin stood, angry. He clenched his jaw, his fists tightening at his sides. His eyes narrowed in a glare, directed towards the guard.

“What did you just call him,” he growled out, trying to hold back from grabbing the life guard.

“A faggot? That’s what the little bitch is,” he said confused, before his eyes widened in surprise. “Shit, you’re one too, aren’t you?” He spat out, looking up disgusted at Changbin.

At this point, Changbin lost it. Before he even knew it, his fist was already hitting the guy’s face, the satisfying crunch of the guard’s nose breaking filling the room. Blood started to leak from the guard’s nose as he stared up at Changbin in shock.

Changbin just punched him again.

* * *

* * *

 

Felix tilted his head, looking at his new painting, before adding a few more strokes of paint. It was going to be the newest painting in his hellscape series, and it was going to be much different than anything else he had painted for the series. Rather than dark tones graphic suffering, he was going for a softer piece—the colors lighter, and the horrors no longer eye catching, but hidden so that only those that truly looked could see.

“I like this one a lot better than the others,” his grandmother said from behind him. “The colors are really nice.”

Felix paused his brushstroke, turning his head to look up at his grandmother. He hadn’t even noticed her enter the room.

“Is something wrong grandmother? Do you want me to make you something to eat?” Felix asked his grandmother, giving her his full attention.

“We just ate Felix,” she said with a soft chuckle, before ruffling his hair.

“You must have come in for a reason grandmother,” he said, before turning back towards his painting.

“Felix,” she started, her tone becoming more serious. “Your father doesn’t like you being in the Department of Fine Arts, does he?”

Felix scoffed, holding his brush still to keep from accidently ruining his painting. That was one way to put how his father felt about his major.

“Yeah, that’s putting it lightly,” he agreed, his face scrunching up slightly. “I still want to be there though.”

He could see his grandmother smile in his peripheral, his attention still focused on his painting. Seeing this smile though, he turned back to his grandmother, a questioning look crossing his features. She looked like she had something planned.

“You haven’t gone to an art studio in a while, have you?” She asked.

“It’s okay. I can paint just fine on my own,” he said, confused at where this conversation was going.

She handed him an envelope, eagerly gesturing to open it when he grabbed it. Felix sent his grandmother a confused look, before he gently opened the envelope. Inside was a neat stack of bills.

“It’s 500,000 won Felix. I know it’s not a lot, but you should be able to get at least a few classes out of it,” she said softly, grabbing his hands and holding them gently, a large smile on her face.               

“I can’t take this,” he exclaimed, trying to give his grandmother the money back.

“I insist. It’s not like I was going to do anything with it anyways—it was just sitting it around. I would rather you use it—I want to see you prosper doing something you love,” she murmured softly, gently pushing the money back into his hands.

Felix stared up at her in shock, not really sure what to say. He didn’t want to take her money, but he was also so grateful that she was willing to help him pay for classes at an actual studio—that she actually supported him.

“Thank you,” he muttered, still not quite believing his grandmother was willing to pay for him to take art classes.

“This will be our secret,” she said with a wink, before making her way out of the room.

Felix watched her leave, still not quite believing what had happened. He vowed though to get a job as soon as he could to pay her back for this opportunity. Thinking this, he turned back to his painting, a small smile stretching across his face.

* * *

 

Chris stood by the gate to Felix’s house, waiting for the other boy. Hearing a door close, he glanced up, seeing Felix walk out and gently close the door behind him before making his way over to the gate.

Chris noticed two things right away. One, Felix’s arms were covered in bruises and he had what looked like another bruise forming on his cheek, near his eye. Two, Felix’s hair was a different color from the last time he had seen it—it was now a pale pink, with hints of a darker, almost orangey color.               

“Nice hair,” he called out, figuring the hair was the safer thing to talk about.

“Shut up,” Felix mumbled as he opened the gate. “I like pink.”

Chris gently pulled the gate shut behind Felix, before tugging the other boy along in the direction of the park. He untied the jacket he had wrapped around his waist earlier and handed it to Felix, the other sending a thankful glance his way as he put it on while they were walking.

“So how are things going with your pretty stranger,” Chris asked, breaking the silence.

Felix just sighed, and ruffled his hair as they walked, trying to think of how to answer that question. He stayed silent for a bit, trying to convince himself of his answer before he told it to his friend.

“I gave him up,” he started, fiddling with the sleeves of the jacket. “I have a test to prepare for, and nothing I’ve done to find him has really worked out.”

None of this was a lie, Felix really did have a big test that he needed to prepare a piece for, and every time he had gotten close to seeing his stranger again, something would happen that would separate them again. Not to mention the new classes his grandmother had paid for. He couldn’t shake the feeling though that he would never really be able to give up on his stranger.

“Bummer,” Chris said, sending Felix a sympathetic glance.

Felix just lightly shoved Chris, wincing slightly as the motion aggravated his wounds. His whole body fucking ached, but that was nothing new to him.

The two continued walking towards the park, making their way to a shaded area where they were supposed to meet some friends to wish one of them a happy birthday. Their friends were already there, so Felix quickly grabbed a drink and sat down, towards the edge of the small group.

“Happy birthday,” they all cheered, before cracking open their drinks and taking a long swig to celebrate the girl’s birthday, someone bringing out a small cake for later.

Felix sat awkwardly at the back, nursing his drink. While he was friends with everyone here, they weren’t closer friends. He was here more to be polite and to hang out with Chris rather than socialize with anyone else.

“Thanks guys,” the girl, Jieun, said smiling brightly.

The group began to joke around, telling inside jokes as they enjoyed their drinks and celebrated Jieun’s birthday. Felix observed from the side, a small smile on his face. It was nice seeing them have fun, even if he wasn’t an active part of it.

“So what happened to your hair, Yongbok-ah?” One of the guys Felix was less familiar with called out.

Felix flushed, starting to regret the sudden spur of the moment decision to dye his hair. He ducked his head, embarrassed. He had though the color would be fun, but it was getting him more questions than he would have liked.

“I like pink and I wanted a change,” he muttered, hoping that they would leave it at that.

“But isn’t pink a girl’s color?”

Felix glanced away, ducking his face in his knees. The other boy got the hint, and dropped the subject, but the rest of the group quickly noticed. The atmosphere changed, becoming more awkward. Felix ducked his face further, hoping he could hide.

“Chan, no!” Jieun shrieked, breaking the tension as she tried to keep frosting from the small cake they had all bought her off of her face.

The mood quickly lightened, as everyone fought to get frosting on the birthday girl’s face, Felix’s behavior quickly forgotten. Felix smiled lightly, lifting his head up. Chris was a good friend, even if he could be a little out there sometimes.

He had never thought he would meet another Australian when he had permanently moved to Korea with his father, and he most certainly never thought he would become best friends with them. But somehow he had managed to find Chris Bang, and he would never regret any moment he spent with him.

The get together continued for some time, with slices of the cake being passed out. Felix slowly started to uncurl, and sat watching the group as he enjoyed his own piece of cake. A girl slowly broke off and made her way over to him. He was pretty sure she was one of Jieun’s friends—he was pretty sure her name was Hwayoung.

“You’re Yongbok-oppa, right?” She asked, sitting next to him.

“Yeah,” he muttered quietly, glancing away from her, not even bothering to correct her. “You’re… Hwayoung?”               

“You know my name!” She cheered, clapping her hands together in front of her.

Felix mentally sighed, not looking forward to the conversation ahead. She seemed like the energetic type, and he had a feeling she was going to be clingy. He figured he could at least polite to her though, until he could find a way to escape.

"What department are you in, oppa?” Hwayoung asked, leaning closer.

“Uh, fine arts,” he muttered, backing away from her.

“Oh! Do you want to be a painter or something then,” she asked, continuing to press herself closer to Felix. “If you hadn’t have told me that, I would have guessed you were a model, or were in an idol agency or something. Have you ever considered that? You might be more successful doing that—you have the face for it.”

Felix let out a nervous laugh, his eyes scanning the small group for Chris. Seeing his friend, he tried to signal with his eyes for help, but it looked like his friend was too busy to see Felix’s distress signals.               

“Um, why do you keep asking me questions?” Felix asked awkwardly, scratching his head as he once again tried to lean away. He decided it was better for him not to make a comment about where she could shove her opinions on his major. “We don’t really know each other, and I would prefer you not criticize my major when you don’t know me.”               

“We could get to know each other,” she said, leaning forward and placing a hand on his chest.

Felix abruptly stood, not caring anymore if he hurt Hwayoung’s feelings. He felt uncomfortable, and just wanted to leave.

“I, uh, I have to go to the restroom,” he muttered awkwardly, thinking of a way to explain his sudden departure.

He purposely inched his way closer to the group as he backed away from her, before he turned, not wanting to see the hurt and confused expression on her face. He made his way over to Chris and lightly smacked him on his head, getting his attention.

" _Some help you are fuckstick,_ ” he muttered in quick English, before grabbing his bag and making his way towards the bathroom like he said he would, even though he wasn’t planning on staying.

He heard the echoing _thump_ of someone running after him. He slowed his pace, allowing them to catch up. Chris jogged in front of him and turned around, walking backwards so that he could face Felix as they walked.

“You’re leaving?” Chris asked.               

“Yeah,” Felix admitted, once again scratching his head. “I’m tired, and I’m not super close with anyone there, so I doubt that I’ll be missed.”

“Okay. Make sure you’re careful heading back,” Chris said with a small smile, lightly squeezing Felix’s shoulder.

“I will be, side dish,” Felix said with a shit-eating grin.

Chris smacked his arm lightly for that, but he wasn’t actually mad at the younger boy. He pulled Felix in for a hug, gently squeezing the other boy.

“Thanks for coming Felix,” he said softly, giving the boy another quick squeeze before releasing him with a small smile. “Also, stop calling me side dish you little shit.”

Felix gave him a small smile, before he turned away walking back towards his house. It had gotten darker outside, so he would have had to head home soon anyways—he wasn’t really on good terms with his dad right now, so it was probably better to head hone now.

* * *

 

Changbin glanced over while he was eating dinner, seeing Minjun on his phone. He frowned, figuring he was probably texting Siwon with the way he was smiling at his phone. He cleared his throat lightly, getting his boyfriend’s attention.

“I’m not going to be here tomorrow for dinner. A client from Japan is coming, so the CEO and I are taking him golfing, then we’re going out to dinner,” he said, looking blankly at Minjun.               

“Oh,” Minjun said, barely acknowledging what Changbin said before turning back towards his phone.

Minjun pulled his phone closer to his face, a large smile blooming across his face as he read whatever text Siwon had probably sent him. Changbin just sighed, not expecting anything else of his boyfriend at this point.

“You’re not even listening are you?”

“I am! What’s wrong?” Minjun asked concerned, snapping up from his phone.

“You’ve been acting strange lately,” he accused, hoping that Minjun would come clean or something.

"You’re the one who’s been acting weird lately—what did you do fall in love with someone else?” Minjun shot right back.

Changbin glared at Minjun as he searched through his behavior, trying to find something that he had done since he had met Felix that was different than normal. He couldn’t think of any too different—him and Minjun had been drifting apart for a while, so it couldn’t have anything to do with being inattentive. He really couldn’t think of anything he had done that was strange.

“Did your mom set you up on a blind date again? You really need to come out to her,” Minjun continued.

Changbin just sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He really wished Minjun would drop this. While he was happy that Minjun wasn’t continuing with the cheating idea, he was tired of being told to come out to his mom. He could understand where his boyfriend was coming from, but he didn’t like being pressured into doing something he wasn’t comfortable with.

“You really need to stop going on those blind date.”

“I have to—whether I want to or not,” Changbin growled out, angry. “This isn’t up to you Minjun.”

“Then just fucking go,” Minjun snapped back, his voice raising. “You have no idea what it’s like—I have to spend all the holidays alone because my boyfriend is on a fucking date his mom set up for him. I’ll make a nice ass dinner, wanting to spend time with my boyfriend, but I guess that’s too much to ask for because he goes and fucks off on a date with someone else.”

“You can fucking come with me if it bothers you that much,” Changbin spat out, standing up and pushing his chair in.

“And what am I supposed to fucking say? ‘Oh hello there Mrs. Seo, I’m a _friend_ of your son’s and I get lonely without him, so I decided to tag along,” Minjun growled back, standing as well.

“Then what the fuck do you want me to do?” He nearly shouted back, before angrily grabbing his plate and taking it into the kitchen. He heard Minjun follow behind him.

“I don’t fucking know. Maybe tell her the truth as a start? Otherwise we’re going to be living in fucking secrecy for the rest of our fucking lives.”

Changbin’s jaw clenched in anger, his whole face going tight. He tried to calm down as he put his plate in the sink, not wanting to go any further in the argument at the moment. He sighed, suddenly tired.

“She’s old Junnie—I know my mom and you’d have to be stupid to think she would be able to accept the fact that her only son is gay,” he said softly this time, although annoyance was clearly laced through his voice.

“Soon, we’ll be old too,” Minjun muttered, before walking out of the kitchen.

Changbin could hear him pick up his bag and his keys, before he heard the sound of the front door slamming. He stood in the kitchen for a little longer, but then made his way out to the living room, sitting on the couch. He cradled his head, trying not to cry.

 _Let’s break up_ , he typed on his phone, sending the message before he could think too much about it. Minjun never responded.

* * *

 

Felix carefully ducked out of his room, the art supplies he needed for the day tucked away in his bag. He checked the hallway, noticing the coast was clear. He made his way to the kitchen, pausing when he saw his dad sitting at the table.

“Where do you think you’re going,” his father asked, turning his full attention towards Felix.

“I, um, have a class at an art studio,” he muttered softly, looking down at the floor.

“And where did you get the money for that?” Felix’s father asked, his tone anything but pleasant.

Felix hunched further into himself, his eyes never leaving the floor. He fought to speak, knowing his father would get angry with him if he didn’t talk soon, but his mouth just wouldn’t open. It was as if it was sewn shut.

“Grandmother gave it to me,” he finally mumbled.

“What was that Felix?”

“Grandmother gave me money,” he repeated, slightly louder.

He hoped his father would let him go soon, while he had left early for the class just in case, he didn’t want to be late, and he definitely didn’t want to explain the new bruise that would surely take over his face if he stayed any longer.

“Go. Now,” his father growled out, not really being able to say anything since it was his mom that had given his son the money. “You better pay her back though, and start working on paying your own fucking tuition if you plan to continue your stupid endeavor into becoming a useless painter.”

Felix just nodded his head. He stood there for another second, before he turned and left. His head never raising until he was already out of the house and at their front gate. He checked behind him, making sure his father wasn’t going to come out and suddenly tell him he couldn’t go. Seeing that the coast was clear, he eased the gate open and pulled out his bike, ready to make his way to his new class.

Felix glanced up, checking the shadowing on the model’s face, before he looked back down to his sketch and darkened the shadows on the right side, wanting to make sure the drawing was as accurate as possible. He glanced back up, double checking, and he almost swore that the model had been looking right at him.

He found himself staring at the model, and not purely to sketch him properly either. The model was really good looking—his face angular, but not harsh; his features unique, but not at all unattractive. It didn’t help either that the boy was mostly naked.

Felix blushed thinking this, before turning back to focus on his drawing rather than the probably straight model. The model was pretty fit, so he paid extra attention to making the model’s body look toned, but not overly muscled.

(He may or may not have gotten distracted again, but that was a story for another time.)

The rest of the class passed quickly. Before he had realized it, the class was over, and everyone was packing up. The model slowly stood up, stretching his stiff joints before putting a robe on. Felix quickly glanced away, rushing to pack up his own supplies.

As he was placing his charcoal pencils back in there case, he heard someone clear their throat above him. He glanced up, expecting the instructor in charge of the class to tell him he needed to hurry up, but instead he found himself staring at the model.

“Hi there, I’m Song Eungwang,” the model introduced himself with a cheery smile. “Can I see what you drew?” He asked, leaning over the easel to look at Felix’s sketch.

Felix was fucked.

He gently picked up the thick paper he had been drawing on, before he stood up and presented the sketch to Eungwang. He looked down as the other gently grabbed the paper, hoping the model wasn’t offended by the drawing or something.

  “Woah!” Eungwang exclaimed, his face lighting up. “You’re really good! I don’t think I’ve seen someone sketch me this well in a long time, if ever,” he added with a bright smile, his eyes flitting over to Felix.

“Aren’t you a professional nude model though?” Felix asked, confused as he looked up slightly at the model. “Oh, I’m Lee Yongbok, but you can call me Felix,” he added, realizing he hadn’t introduced himself.

The model looked at him in surprise, before the large grin returned to his face. His eyes looked as if they were smiling too.

“Wow! Your voice is super deep. It’s nice to meet you Felix,” Eungwang said, sounding impressed. “But no, I’m only the stand in for when their main model can’t come in. It’s pretty fun, and it doesn’t hurt to earn a little extra cash,” he added.

“You don’t seem like you’re a novice. Your positon was really stable, but it didn’t look stiff, if that makes sense. I’ve drawn some models that reminded me of a plaster,” Felix said, impressed with the boy in front of him.

Most of the time, models that didn’t pose on a regular basis tended to be shaky, and would alter their position after breaks. That, or they were too rigid to keep in place, and their body ended up looking unnatural and tense. Eungwang did neither of those—Felix had legitimately thought he was a pro with how good he stayed in a natural position.

Eungwang let out a peal of laughter at what the other had said, the sound just as appealing as his personality and appearance. When he finished, a soft smile overtook his face, making his features appear more delicate as he looked at Felix.

“How could I look like plaster? I’m human—I’m a living creature,” he said amused. “Here, you can feel,” he added before gently grabbing Felix’s hand and pulling it up to rest in front of his lips.

Felix paused, his eyes widening in shock. It would be so easy for the other to kiss his hand, and he could see in Eungwang’s eyes that it was deliberate. Felix slowly started to smile as well, realizing that the model wasn’t as straight as he had thought he was.

“You didn’t have to prove it to me,” Felix said, still smiling. “Of course you’re real.”

“Yeah, I know. I wanted to make a pretty boy like you smile though. Looks like it worked,” Eungwang said, flirting. “When you were drawing, you looked pretty serious, but at the same time upset,” he added, slightly more serious.

“Really now,” Felix mused aloud, glancing up at the taller model.

The model nodded, the motion cute. He paused, as if considering what to say. This boy was going to be the death of Felix, and they had only just met.

“You should smile more Felix,” Eungwang said, bringing an almost instantaneous smile to Felix’s lips. “See? You look much better with a smile.”

Felix let out another chuckle, shaking his head slightly ‘no.’ He glanced shyly back up and Eungwang, the smile never having left his face.

“I know this is kind of sudden, but could I take you out on a date?” Eungwang asked, appearing slightly nervous.

Felix stared up at the other in shock. While he had realized the other had been flirting with him, he didn’t think it would actually go anywhere. He found himself nodding though, his lips quirking back into the wide smile Eungwang had complimented.

“I’d like that,” he said softly.

“Good. I know a great place for shaved ice nearby,” Eungwang said, before he gently grabbed Felix’s wrist again and dragged him out of the studio.

Felix just laughed, following the boy down the street and to the left in the direction of the place that sold shaved ice. They stopped briefly so he could grab his bike, before they continued on their way to the shop. He carefully took the sketch he had done of Eungwang from the other’s hands, carefully placing it in his bag, glad that he had chosen more of a satchel type bag, rather than one that would go on his back.

As they got closer, Felix carefully linked their hands, figuring they could hold hands as they walked. If the resulting squeeze from Eungwang was anything to go by, he was pretty sure Eungwang agreed.

They finally stopped in front of the shop—Eungwang had been right, it wasn’t far from the studio at all. He looked around, realizing that he had been in this shop before. He had come here a few times, on the rare occasion where he skipped school.

They both ordered their bowls of shaved ice—Felix got a fruit mixture with sweetened condensed milk, and Eungwang got something that sounded so sugary, Felix didn’t think anyone in their right mind could eat without getting a stomach ache. He wasn’t surprised though that the other had ordered that; they had known each other for only a couple hours now, but that was long enough for Felix to guess that Eungwang had a sweet tooth.

Felix pulled out his wallet, ready to pay for his share of the cold treat, when Eungwang held out a hand, stopping him from paying. The other boy quickly pulled out his wallet, paying for the both of them.

“I just got paid—it’s my treat. Besides, it’s a date,” he said playfully, sending a sweet smile Felix’s way.

Once they got their bowls, they made their way to one of the open tables. The two sat down, facing each other. Felix gave the other a quick smile, before he looked down and dipped his spoon into the shaved ice, slowly savoring the sweet taste of the condensed milk and the fruit. He looked up, seeing Eungwang staring at him, before the other quickly turned to his own bowl of shaved iced.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here,” Felix muttered, looking around the store as he took another bite of his treat.

“You’ve been here before?” Eungwang asked.

“Yeah, I would come here whenever I skipped a class in high school.”

Eungwang let out an amused chuckled. He covered his mouth as he laughed, his eyes closed. The shape of his eyes tilting up in what looked like a smile.

“Glad to know I’m not the only one who appreciates how good their shaved ice is,” Eungwang said, still amused.

“They don’t skimp out on ingredients, that’s for sure,” Felix said with a chuckle of his own. “The fruit is pretty sweet too, same with the condensed milk.”

Eungwang took another bit of shaved ice, holding the spoon in his mouth this time. He sucked on his spoon looking like he was contemplating. Seeming to reach a decision, he popped the spoon out of his mouth, his hand now poised over the middle of the table.

“I like sweetened condensed milk too—I used to drink whole containers of it as a kid. My mom got super pissed every time,” he said with a light chuckle.

“I can’t believe you would drink whole containers,” Felix muttered, shaking his head.

“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it,” Eungwang replied, pouting slightly.

Felix chuckled, shaking his head at the other’s cute behavior. While he did like condensed milk himself, he couldn’t imagine anyone willing drinking an entire container of it, let alone several like Eungwang had said.

“You wanna go somewhere else after this?” Eungwang asked, nodding his spoon in Felix’s direction.

Felix paused, thinking for a moment. While it would probably be better for him to go home early, he really didn’t want to be around his dad right now. His dad was going to be upset no matter what when he got home, so he figured he might as well enjoy his time before he had to go back.

“You want to go to the movies then?” He offered.

“Okay!” Eungwang exclaimed, smiling brightly. “I don’t have to work anymore today, so that works out. I haven’t been to the movies in a while.”

Felix smiled, before taking another bite of his shaved ice. While he would never be able to forget ‘Binnie,’ he really hoped things would work out with Eungwang. It was better for him to move on from someone he hadn’t even had a real relationship with, and Eungwang seemed like the type of person that Felix could find himself caring deeply for in the future.

“I want to try some of yours,” Felix heard Eungwang mutter, before another spoon was in his shaved ice.

“Hey!” Felix exclaimed, staring in bewilderment as Eungwang popped the spoon into his mouth.

“Stingy,” Eungwang muttered around his spoon.

Felix playfully glared at the other, his face scrunching up as he exaggerated his annoyance. He took a small spoonful of his ice, popping the spoon in his mouth as he continued to glare at Eungwang.

“I’ll just get you more next time,” Eungwang said, before dipping his spoon back into Felix’s bowl.

Felix stared at the other in shock, trying not to get flustered as Eungwang proudly smiled at stealing another bite of Felix’s shaved ice.  He shook his head, a smile of his own forming on his lips before he continued to finish his shaved ice, with Eungwang occasionally sneaking another bite or two when he thought Felix wasn’t looking.

* * *

 

Felix slowly walked beside Eungwang, pushing his bike on the other side. He looked up at the sky, noticing how dark it had gotten as he tried to draw their time out longer. It had been a really good first date, and he didn’t want it to end.

“So, what did you think of the movie?” Eungwang asked from his place next to Felix.

“I liked it,” Felix said softly, staring ahead. “I may or may not have dozed off briefly in the middle though,” he admitted, embarrassed.

“Oh really,” Eungwang said with a chuckle. “I must be pretty boring then.”

Felix shook his head ‘no,’ not wanting the other to get the wrong idea. He really enjoyed the time they spent together today, and was looking forward to future dates.

“I had a really good time today. Movies just tend to make me sleepy.”

Eungwang sent a small smile his way, before they continued walking in silence, enjoying their time together as they walked down the twilight-lit street, slowly making their way closer to Felix’s house. Felix felt comfortable in the silence, nothing about it at all awkward.

He couldn’t believe how much he had lucked out today. Not only did he get to go to an actual class where he could practice drawing a live model, but said model was actually interested in a guy like him. He really couldn’t believe how his day had turned out.

Felix glanced up, noticing they were nearly in front of his house. He frowned, not wanting the date to be over. He couldn’t think of anything that could prolong it though.

“That’s my house,” he said, nodding at the house right in front of them, pausing in front of his gate. He rested his bike against the wall, staring up and Eungwang.

“I had a lot of fun today,” Eungwang spoke softly, another smile tugging at his lips as he looked at Felix.

“Thanks for taking me out today,” was Felix’s response. “Will you be at the art studio next week?”

Eungwang paused for dramatic effect, looking as if it was a tough decision to make. He looked back down towards Felix, his smile giving away his true intent.

“I wasn’t planning on it,” he started, placing a finger by his cheek as if he was in thought. “But, I guess I can make an exception for you.”

Felix looked up, amused. He was really looking forward to seeing Eungwang again. Although, he didn’t really want to wait a full week to see the other.

“Make sure you smile Felix,” he said, lightly pinching Felix’s cheek. “There, like that. If you start the day off smiling, it’s sure to be a happy one.”

“Okay,” Felix murmured, the fond smile naturally quirking his lips up.

“Bye for now cutie,” Eungwang said, before turning away.

Felix watched him move forward a few feet, content to wait outside until he couldn’t see the other. Eungwang moved forward a few feet, slowly coming to a stop as if he was indecisive about something. Seeming to reach a verdict, he turned back around and quickly made his way back towards Felix. He gently bent down and kissed Felix’s cheek.

“Goodbye for real now,” he whispered, smiling at Felix, before walking away again—this time not stopping.

Felix just cupped his cheek, a happy feeling filling his chest. He had a feeling that nothing his dad did to him tonight would be able to change how happy he felt at the moment.

* * *

 

You found me

You loved me

However brief it was

Though strangers that we are

The present bleeds into futures

As you hold me in your arms

Giving me the gift of you

When all I do is take

 

 

 

 

 

               

               

               

 

               

               

  


               

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear the endgame is Changlix guys. Just bear with me for now! I'm sorry! On another note, I love my boy Eungwang. He is a wonderful, pure boy who only deserves the best. I love him so much...
> 
> Follow me on twitter if you guys want story updates. https://twitter.com/?lang=en


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have my final for the semester tomorrow. Wanna have an ice cream date sunshine boy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Join the discord server https://discord.gg/YzaKGnE

**Gray Skies with a Hint of Gold**

**Chapter 3**

Changbin strolled into the dining room, a robe hanging loosely off of his shoulders. He glanced down at the table, noticing it was set. He looked up, his brow furrowing in confusion before he saw Minjun make his way out of the kitchen carrying two glasses of orange juice.

He stared at the other in shock as he gently sat down, not quite believing the sight before him. He looked up, hearing the sound of a glass being sat down. Minjun sent him a small smile, before gently sitting in the adjacent seat.

“This is surprising,” Changbin muttered, loading his plate without even realizing what he was putting on his plate.

“I figured I’d try to start the day right,” was Minjun’s response, forcing a smile on his face.

“It looks good,” Changbin complimented, slowly taking a bite of the food he had put on his plate. It wasn’t bad at all.

Minjun hummed, a smile teasing his lips. He gently took a bite of his own food. He had made it special for Changbin, figuring after their argument he would try and make peace since Changbin sure as hell wasn’t going to, and he was pleased to know that none of it tasted bad.

“Did you make the juice too?” Changbin asked, staring at the glass of orange juice that had been placed in front of him.

“Yup—only the best for my baby,” Minjun teased, pleased with himself.

Changbin nodded, before he grabbed the glass and took a small sip. His eyes widened at the taste—it was actually really good. It was just sweet enough to make you enjoy the taste, but not enough to mask the flavor of the oranges. The texture was pretty smooth as well.

“Damn, this is good,” Changbin admitted, before taking a much larger sip of the juice.

They sat in silence, eating the rest of their food. Changbin had to admit, it was all really good and he really appreciated the effort Minjun was putting into keeping them together. While he didn’t love Minjun romantically anymore, there was a comfort in their relationship and he didn’t want to jeopardize it more than he already had. Although, he didn’t value the relationship enough to chase after Minjun again, so it really was nice to see how invested his boyfriend was.

“So, what made you come back?” Changbin asked, before taking another bite of his breakfast.

Minjun paused, chopsticks held awkwardly in front of his face as if to take a bite. He swallowed, before taking the bite, chewing slowly as he thought through his answer.

“This group found me. I went to one of their meetings and realized that I should try to work things out with you,” he said softly, staring into Changbin’s eyes. “They want you to come too.”

Changbin stared at him, not really sure how to respond to that. He just hoped that Minjun had been careful and that he hadn’t been sucked into some gang or cult or something. He doubted that had happened, but you could never be completely sure.

“I’ll pass for now,” he decided on, figuring it would be a safe enough option. “Where did you stay while you were gone?” Changbin asked, changing the subject.

“I stayed with Siwon…” Minjun trailed off, no longer looking Changbin in the eyes.

Changbin stared at him in slight disbelief, before he turned his head down. He started to eat again, but it was more to keep his mouth busy rather than from actual hunger. Go figure Minjun would stay with Siwon after they had a fight.

“I’m sure you slept fine then,” he muttered, his voice deep as he nearly growled out the words.

(He couldn’t help but briefly think of the boy he had kissed at the pool. While he hadn’t been with Felix long, he had a feeling that if he had been able to get together with the boy, something like this wouldn’t have happened.)

“You know me, I can sleep anywhere,” Minjun nervously said. “I don’t have any nightmares, so I always sleep well.”

Changbin just went back to eating, his breakfast no longer tasting nearly as good as it had a few minutes ago. He figured it was better to eat it though, rather than start something else with Minjun while he was trying to apologize.

“I have an appointment tonight, so I’m going to be late,” he said, finishing the food on his plate.

“You’re working late tonight?” Minjun asked, looking back up.

“No,” Changbin said, shaking his head.

He quickly downed the rest of his juice, the taste now sickly sweet to him. He gathered up his dishes, standing up slightly so he could take them into the kitchen and place them in the sink to be washed later.

“Then who are you meeting?” Changbin heard Minjun call out from the dining room.

“My aunt and my mom,” he replied, before turning on the hot water to quickly rinse his dishes.

Changbin lightly scrubbed at the dishes, before leaving them in the sink to be further cleaned later. He dried his hands and then made his way back towards the dining room, leaning against the doorframe, looking at Minjun.

“Oh, the one who likes to set you up with girls,” Minjun grumbled, staring sullenly at his half full plate.

Changbin didn’t say anything, once again not really knowing what to say. He wasn’t good at comforting people, especially in situations like this. While he knew Minjun would love to hear him say that he would blow the appointment off and finally be open about his sexuality, realistically that could never happen and he didn’t know how to say that without hurting Minjun’s feelings.

“Just, go. I’m going to try to be more supportive,” Minjun mumbled out, before shoving some food into his mouth. He didn’t sound supportive, but Changbin really appreciated the effort.

“Thanks Junnie,” he said with a small smile.

* * *

 

Changbin stared blankly out the window in the meeting room, drowning out the playful banter his employees were tossing around. They had just finished a meeting they had just finished a meeting going over the plans for the next quarter’s marketing strategies, and were now waiting for approval. The meeting had gone well though, so Changbin was allowing his employees to have a little fun for now instead of packing up the rest of their materials.

“So, if one of your professors from college fell down in a lake and you had to save them with what you learnt, what would you say?” Changbin heard Siwon ask the small group in front of him.

Changbin glanced over, slightly confused as to where this conversation was going. Hell, he was confused as to why the topic was even brought up. He didn’t always understand how his employees thought. They were hard workers though, so it’s not like it really mattered if he always understood them.

“I would probably ask him…what he was thinking as he fell down,” one of the employees said, her face scrunched up in thought.

“What was your major?” Siwon asked, chuckling slightly.

“Journalism,” was her mirthful response.

The whole group let out a chuckle. A few others responded to the question, much to the amusement of those gathered. Changbin once again tuned them out, instead working on gathering the rest of his materials.

“What about you boss?” Siwon asked, startling Changbin slightly.

“Yeah, what would you do sir?” Another employee chimed in.

“I’m self-taught,” Changbin replied, before nodding in Siwon’s direction, trying to get the attention off of himself.

“Me?” Siwon asked, pointing at himself as he waited for Changbin’s nod of approval. “I guess I would say, ‘Professor, stop acting’ since I studied drama,” he said with a chuckle.

Changbin went back to sorting his papers, placing them in their corresponding folders. He lightly tapped the summary against the desk, making sure all of the papers were in line and organized before gently placing them in the last folder and stacking it on top of the others.

“Then how did you get a job in the marketing department?” Changbin heard someone ask.

“I never said drama was the only thing I studied,” Siwon said with a wink. “I also got an MBA.”

Changbin grabbed his folders, holding onto them tightly as he stood up, prepared to leave the meeting room. He hopped his employees would follow his example—while it was near the end of the day, it wasn’t quite yet time to go home and they still had work to do.

“You’re dressed differently today—a lot brighter. Got a hot date?” One of his employees teased as Changbin started to make his way towards the door.

“He better not—Minjun-ah would be pissed,” Siwon responded, cackling slightly as the employee’s face flushed a deep red.

“Sorry sir, I didn’t realize you were in a relationship,” the employee mumbled, looking down.

Changbin just waved him off and continued on his way out the door, walking quickly back to the office. He placed the folders on his desk and turned on his monitor, set to complete as much work as possible before he had to go on the dreaded blind date his mom and his aunt had set up.

* * *

 

Felix stared at the bowl of fruit they were supposed to be sketching class. He tried to focus on it, but his mind kept wandering back to Eungwang. The other had promised to meet him today, but there was no sign of the other and they were already halfway into the class.

He sighed, before he decided to give up on Eungwang coming. Obviously the other didn’t enjoy their impromptu date as much as Felix, and he figured his time would be better spent preparing for his test then getting hung up on the cute boy that had kissed his cheek last week.

He traced his charcoal pencil lightly over the paper, sketching the general shape of the fruit before going over the sketches again with a bit more force, marking the details. He was so focused on his drawing he jumped when he felt a hand on his should, nearly smearing a large dark line across the sketch.

He looked up to see who had tried to get his attention and saw Eungwang laughing, his mouth covered and his eyes tilting up in a smile. Felix’s eyes widened in shock, before a large smile instantly overtook his face.

“I’ll be right back,” Eungwang said, nodding in the direction of the spare chairs.

Felix watched as the other grabbed a chair and quietly dragged it back, making sure not to disturb the other artists. Eungwang gently placed his chair slightly behind Felix’s and to the left, making sure it was far enough away that he could watch Felix’s sketch come alive, but not far enough that he would be in the way of anyone who wanted to pass.

Felix looked back at him and sent him a smile, before turning back to his drawing. Time seemed to fly the rest of the class now that Eungwang was there. It only felt like a minute had passed by the time the instructor called an end to the session.

He slowly started to put his materials away, Eungwang grabbing his pencils and putting them back in there pouch as Felix grabbed his drawing and put away his easel. When he got back, he put his sketch in his bag, and gently grabbed his pencil pouch from Eungwang.

“Hey Yongbok, I’m going to leave the key over here—it’s your turn to clean up the studio. Just give the key back to me next class,” Felix heard his instructor call out.

Felix nodded, and grabbed a box that had been placed nearby, placing the fake fruit inside to store away later. He gently folded the sheet they had been placed on, putting that in the bow as well. He was about to work on breaking the display down when he felt a presence behind him. He glanced back, seeing Eungwang behind him.

“Were you disappointed today?” Eungwang asked from behind Felix.

“I wasn’t,” Felix lied, turning his face to once again look at the display.

Eungwang hummed before walking in front of Felix. He stood there, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. He fidgeted a little with his own bag before he sighed, finally figuring out what he wanted to say to Felix.

“Do you want to know why you were drawing fruit instead of me today?” He asked, looking into Felix’s eyes.

“I don’t,” Felix said, before moving around Eunwang to take the display down.

“I’m disappointed now,” Eungwang said, his lips pouting as he played up his disappointment.

Felix stayed silent, continuing to break down the display. He moved to the back of the room, carrying the box and the display and setting them where the other props were. He could hear Eungwang following behind him.

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t show up earlier. The teacher wanted you guys drawing static objects today, and I had a shift at my other job today. I didn’t want to break our promise though, so I came as quickly as I could,” Eungwang explained, his hand reaching up to run through his hair and tug lightly at the locks. “We still up for that date today?”

Felix shook his head, a small smile blooming on his face. He looked up at Eungwang, his expression a lot happier than the disappointed look it had been before.

“Look at you, smiling over me,” Eungwang teased, playfully ruffling Felix’s hair.

Felix laughed, gently stopping the other boy from continuing to mess up his hair. He pulled out Eungwang’s hand, holding it gently before lacing their fingers together as a second thought. He could see the other flush a light pink at the action.

“Let me finish putting everything away and then we can go on that date, sunshine boy,” Felix teased back, before turning away to stack the chairs and put away the easels.

He stacked the two in silence, noticing when Eungwang came to help him speed up the process. He smiled, not at all upset about being the one asked to stay back today since it let him get to spend time with someone he hoped would become his boyfriend.

“I like your shirt,” Felix said, breaking the silence. While it had been comfortable, he really like hearing Eungwang’s voice.

“Thanks! I just bought it,” Eungwang replied, excited. “It looks good, doesn’t it?” He added, doing a little twirl and striking a pose for effect.

Felix had to muffle his laughs at the boy’s actions. How he ended up meeting someone with a personality like Eungwang’s, he would never know. He was just glad to have met the other though, and hoped things would go good between the two of them.

“Only you could make a shirt as ridiculous as that good,” Felix teased, trying his hand at flirting as he grabbed the last of the chairs and placed them in the back of the room.

Eungwang squawked in disagreement, but continued to help Felix until the room was picked up. His smile was wide as he lightly grabbed Felix’s hand, lacing their fingers together as the stood in the middle of the now empty room.

“I can’t stay out late tonight. My dad wants me to watch my grandmother,” Felix said softly, his voice slightly downhearted.

“I can help if you want,” Eungwang offered, hoping he wasn’t going too fast with their relationship. He just genuinely wanted to help Felix and get to know him better. “I’d still like to go on that date though if we can. I came here without eating anything, and I was looking forward to having lunch with you.”

“Let’s go get lunch then,” Felix said, lightly squeezing Eungwang’s hand before pulling him out of the studio, locking the door behind them.

* * *

 

Felix’s grandmother sat knitting, her face starting to light up as she finished the difficult pattern she was making on the sweater she was knitting. She was planning to give it to Felix before his big test as a sort of good luck charm, and she wanted to make sure it was extra special.

“Hey Felix, what do you think?” She asked, wanting to show off the pattern a little. She turned to gage Felix’s, wanting to see if he was just as impressed as she was, when she noticed it wasn’t her grandson sitting next to her. “Who are you and how did you get in my house?”

The kid awkwardly scratched the back of his head, a cute smile on his face as he turned his body so it could be facing her. He was a looker, she would give him that, but that didn’t excuse the fact that he was a stranger sitting on her couch.

“My name is Song Eungwang ma’am,” he said politely, bowing his head in greeting. “I’m a friend of your grandson’s.”

“But where’s Felix?” She asked, looking around confused.

Her grandson was nowhere that she could see. She couldn’t hear anything but the drawl of the hosts on the radio station she liked either. The only person that was around her was this stranger who was apparently her grandson’s friend, even though she had never met him before. The only friend Felix had ever brought over, or even mentioned before, was the one strange and excitable, but kind boy who was also from Australia. If she remembered, his name was Chan, or something similar.

“He’s washing dishes right now ma’am. He told me to keep you company while he’s washing them, but you looked very into your knitting so I didn’t want to disturb you. It’s a very beautiful pattern ma’am,” he said, once again polite.

Her wrinkled face scrunched up as she sent a scrutinizing glare his way. She stayed like this, before she nodded in her approval. She would give her grandson that—he picked good friends. Not like she expected anything different from someone as kind as her grandson.

“Do you know how much longer he’ll be?”

“I don’t think he’ll be too much longer,” Eungwang said, a contemplating look on his face.

She saw him fiddle with his hands, as if he didn’t know what else to say. She sent him a soft smile, hoping it would put him at ease or at least make him feel a bit less awkward, before she went back to her knitting.

“I’m kind of hungry,” she said aloud, figuring her grandson’s friend would feel better if she tried to keep the conversation going.

“What sounds good ma’am? I can go and pick it up for you when Felix is done,” he offered, leaning forward.

“You can just call me grandmother—no need to be so polite kiddo,” she said, pausing her knitting to give him a smile. “And bibimbap sounds pretty good. It used to be Felix’s father’s favorite—he only liked it cooked though. Felix and I used to be the odd ones out—we would be the only ones to get ours with yukhoe.”

Eungwang nodded, filing that information away for later, seeing as he liked yukhoe himself and it had potential to be eaten on an upcoming date. While he knew yukhoe was fairly popular in Korea, he knew not everyone liked it. From what he had seen at some restaurants too, foreigners tended to be weirded out by eating raw beef, and while Felix’s Korean was good, it still had a slight accent that wasn’t from a dialect, so it would make sense if his family didn’t like it.

“Then I can go pick some up if you want that for dinner. Is there a place nearby that you like grandmother?” Eungwang asked, still wanting to make a good impression with the grandmother of who he hoped would end up being his boyfriend.

She paused, thinking through the question. It really was a nice offer, especially from someone who was around her grandson’s age. Felix really had made a good friend.

“Bummer. I know there’s a place around here, but I can’t remember what the name is, only the general location,” she muttered, trying her best to remember the restaurant.

“Maybe we can go looking for it when Felix is done,” Eungwang offered, a smile back on his face.

“Go looking for what?” Felix asked, hearing his name as he walked into the room carrying two glasses of water.

He set the classes carefully on the table, placing one in front of his grandmother and one in front of Eungwang. He bowed slightly to his grandmother, before he took a seat next Eungwang. He gently grabbed the other’s knee, squeezing it slightly before leaving his hand there.

“Your friend here was offering to buy us dinner,” his grandmother said, before she went back to her knitting. “With a face that good, and a personality to match, I would be surprised if you didn’t have girls lining the block to marry you. The same goes for my own boy, though he has yet to bring home a girl,” Felix’s grandmother continued, muttering more to herself than actually talking with the two boys.

Felix winced, glad his grandmother wasn’t looking at them. He felt a hand on top of the one he had placed on Eungwang’s knee, the fingers slowly curling to cover his hand. He glanced up at the other, slightly shocked. Eungwang only sent him a smile, gently squeezing his hand in a reminder that he wasn’t alone.

“So, how did you meet each other? I already know about Chan, but Felix has never mentioned you dear so I’m a little curious,” his grandmother asked, still knitting.

“I model sometimes at the studio he goes to, and we just kind of hit it off after one of the lessons,” Eungwang answered easily, slightly confused to who this Chan person was.

“With a handsome face like yours, it’s no wonder you model,” she said with a laugh. “Speaking of Felix and his art, I’ll let you two go now. I know you need to study for your test dear, and an old lady like me can entertain herself for a bit,” she added.

Felix smiled sadly at her. She knew he didn’t get to study at all for his test, or paint, when his dad was around. It meant a lot to him that she was willing to give up time spent with him in order for him to follow his dream.

“Come on Eunnie, you can come and see my room,” he said, standing up turning towards the other, before pulling him up as well. “Thank you grandmother,” he added softly, watching her knit.

He gently pulled Eungwang in the direction of his room, where he had the materials he needed to study. He waved with his free hand to his grandmother, before facing forward again and giving Eungwang a brief tour of the house. He kept their hands linked, much to the curiosity of Felix’s grandmother.

Felix tugged Eungwang to the left at the end of the hall, pulling him into the doorway that was off to the side. He dropped their hands as soon as they entered, turning to face Eungwang. He opened his mouth, about to say something when he felt hands cup his face.

“So Eunnie, huh?” Eungwang teasingly asked, squeezing Felix’s cheeks before dropping his hands. “I like it.”

He pulled away from Felix, looking around the room. He walked over to the desk he could see in the corner of the room, checking it over. He let out a small sound of awe, impressed with the organization of the desk.

“I would never be able to keep my desk this nice,” Eungwang admitted, lightly running his fingers over the wood.

“My dad likes things neat,” Felix said, ducking his head down.

Eungwang hummed, not commenting on the statement as he moved away from the desk. He walked over to Felix’s bed, admiring the drawings that were hung on the wall. He stopped in front of the small bed, noticing that it too was tidy and well made.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to your mom? I’ve only heard you mention you grandmother and your dad, but never your mom. You don’t have to tell me if it’s too uncomfortable though,” Eungwang asked, curious, taking a seat on the bed.

Felix flinched slightly, his head ducking further. He clenched his fists, trying to think of the best way to describe the situation without going into how much of an abusive asshole his father was. Felix wanted to get to know Eungwang better, and in turn share himself as well, but it would be a long while before Felix could ever think of voluntarily telling anyone about the bruises that littered his body, and the words that cut his heart.

“My mom and dad got divorced a few years back. My mom stayed in Australia with my sisters, and my dad took me here to help take care of my grandmother.” Felix said softly, staring holes into the floor. “That’s why I don’t like being called Yongbok actually—my grandfather on my mom’s side named be, and I don’t like being reminded of her.”

Felix had many feelings about his mother. While he could never hate her, he didn’t think he could ever truly love her the same way he did when he thought what his dad did was normal. The way he loved her when she would patch up the cuts from a punishment. The way he loved her when she brought him new things to draw with. The way he loved her before she abandoned him and left him to rot and suffer at the hands of his father.

“Oh,” Eungwang muttered, covering his mouth with his hand. “Shit, I shouldn’t have asked. I’m sorry Felix. I must be coming across as a total douche right now—shit I just invited myself over, and then had to ask about your parents. I’m really sorry,” Eungwang muttered out, hoping Felix didn’t hate him.

He buried his face in his hands, tugging at the roots of his hair, mentally scolding himself. He should have known that he would be bringing up a sensitive topic when he mentioned Felix’s parents. He felt like a total asshole now.

Felix glanced up, seeing Eungwang panic as he rushed to apologize. A smile couldn’t help but tug at his lips, however small it was, at Eungwang’s actions. He slowly made his way over to the other boy, his steps silent, before kneeling in front of him. He gently pulled Eungwang’s hands away, holding them instead.

“Hey, it’s okay. You didn’t know,” Felix said softly. “You have a kind heart Eunnie.”

Eungwang said nothing, staring apologetically at Felix, before glancing down at his lap. He really did feel bad about bringing the subject up. Whether he was interested in them or not, he never wanted to see someone act the way Felix did because of what he said. He never wanted to see someone curl in on themselves, a blank but solemn look glazed over their features.

Felix paused, about to say something to try and cheer Eungwang back up, when he felt his pocket buzz. Seeing the chance to change the mood, he pulled out his phone, hoping that it would be Chris texting him and not his dad.

He turned his phone on, thankful that it had in fact been Chris who texted him. _Hey Felix, I’m booored. Come hang out with me you brat,_ the text read. For a fraction of a second, Felix held still, before an idea struck him that would not only get Chris off his back to date someone after he had met his stranger, but it would also cheer Eungwang back up.

He carefully switched to the camera on his phone, making sure Eungwang wasn’t aware of it. He sat next to the other, surprising him. Felix smiled at him, waiting for Eungwang to relax slight before he kissed his cheek, snapping a picture of the two of them.

“Hey!” Eungwang exclaimed, surprised at the sudden flash of the camera.

Felix laughed, amused with the face the other was making. He quickly sent the photo to Chris, deciding that it was better left without a question. He loved Chris like a brother, and like any good sibling, he wanted to make him suffer.

“What was that for,” Eungwang asked, confused as to why Felix was suddenly taking a picture of him.

“My friend Chris—he’s from Australia too,” Felix said, before realizing he should probably explain a little. “He’s the one my grandmother mentioned—Bang Chan.”

Eungwang looked confused for a second, before a sudden look of realization crossed his features. He started to giggle, feeling slightly bad that he was laughing at someone else’s name, but he relaxed a little when Felix started to laugh too.

“I thought you called him side dish at first,” Eungwang said, his laughter dying down.

“Not that time, I didn’t,” Felix teased, pausing when he heard a _ping_ from his phone.

 _Dies. Why do you always get the cute ones Felix?? It’s not fair!_ was Chris’ response. Felix giggled a little at it, before passing his phone for Eungwang to see.

“Let’s take another one Eunnie,” Felix said, still laughing.

Eungwang shook his head, amused with the cute little nugget in front of him. He leaned over, wrapping his arms around Felix’s waist and rested his head against the other’s should, nuzzling into Felix’s neck. He closed his eyes, content to enjoy the moment as he heard the _snap_ of the camera taking the picture.

Felix hummed in appreciation at the photo he just took. It looked really cute. He sent this one to Chris as well, before switching to a camera app that had different filters. He figured they might as well do a few of those too.

“You want another?” Eungwang asked from against Felix’s neck.

“Yeah I do,” he muttered, tilting Eungwang’s face away from his neck so it would face the camera.

Felix scrolled through the different filters, trying to decide on one he liked. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Eungwang get start to get excited at seeing one of the cat filters. He quickly clicked on it and snapped a picture when the filter was applied, before going back to the main menu to scroll through more. They ended up taking a few more photos before Felix decided he had enough to spam Chris with.

“One more he said,” he said, positioning Eungwang’s face so it was opposite of his. “Close your eyes for this one.”

Felix waited until Eungwang closed his eyes, before he carefully placed his phone down on the bed, making sure not to turn it off for fear of the sound of it turning off. Slowly he leaned in, cradling Eungwang’s face with one hand before pressing a chaste kiss into Eungwang’s lips.

The kiss didn’t last long, with Felix pulling back in embarrassment at what he had just done, but the smile Eungwang had given him after was worth it, and so much more.

* * *

 

Felix sat, trying his best to take notes and not get distracted by Eungwang, who was sitting next to him. While he would have loved to have greeted his boyfriend the second he saw him, he figured it would be better to keep quiet this time considering the other had snuck into one of his lectures just to see him.

He quickly jotted down the main points on the slide the professor was lecturing from, pausing slightly when he saw a folded piece of paper on top of his notes. He grabbed the slip of paper, subtly pulling it towards his lap and opening it.

 _Can I come over today?_ The note read.

Felix paused, thinking through his schedule. He only had the one class today, so that wouldn’t be a problem. The only real issue would be his dad, since it was a morning class and his dad would be coming home for lunch later. He really did not want his dad to meet Eungwang.

 _After two,_ he quickly scribbled, passing the note back towards Eungwang.

He saw the other frown as he read the note, but before he had to turn back towards jotting down the lecture he saw Eungwang nod his head in acceptance. He was glad the other at least vaguely understood the situation.

Felix spent the rest of the class jotting down notes and playing the occasional game of footsie when he could get away with it. His boyfriend really wasn’t one to sit still for long. He was honestly surprised the boy made such a good model when he couldn’t even make it through a short lecture.

He tugged Eungwang out of the room as soon as the lecture was over, pulling him to a more secluded area at his university. As soon as they were alone, Eungwang pulled him into his arms, squeezing into a hug as he nuzzled against the top of Felix’s head. Felix tried not to flinch when a bruise on his side was touched, and gently wrapped his arms around Eungwang.

“Can I really not come over until after two?” Eungwang nearly whined out against Felix’s hair, the color now more of a faded orange.

“My dad takes his lunch after twelve—he always leaves before two,” Felix muttered, hoping he didn’t have to explain more.

Eungwang stiffened, but quickly tried to relax, not wanting to upset Felix. While they had only been dating for a little less than a month, not including the two weeks they had gotten to know each other on, it wasn’t hard to pick up on the fact that there was something wrong going on at Felix’s house. He was never invited over when Felix’s dad was there, and Felix always seemed to fold in on himself when the other was mentioned, not to mention the bruising that had been visible when they first met.

At first he thought that Felix hadn’t come out to his dad, and he was planning on respecting that. He never wanted someone to think they had to out themselves just to be with him—he wanted his partner to choose to come out to make themselves happy, not because they thought he wanted them to do it.

He had been planning on telling Felix this after their first few days of dating, having already noticed that his boyfriend’s behavior was different when his dad was brought up, but then he started noticing things. He started to notice that it was only his father Felix had issues with, how he had no trouble parading Eungwang in front of his grandmother. How on the days Felix was quiet, he would flinch away from contact and would wear loose long-sleeved shirts. How Felix went out of his way to avoid his dad when he could.

“Two it is,” Eungwang murmured, trying not to sound sad as he pieced Felix’s living situation together, bit by bit. “Do you want me to get you anything before I come over?”

Felix shook his head ‘no,’ burying it against Eungwang’s chest as they stood. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just content with holding the other, when the noise of oncoming students filled their ears. They slowly pulled apart, Felix kissing Eungwang’s cheek before fulling separating as the approaching students got louder.

“See you soon?” Felix asked, sounding hopeful.

“Yeah, soon,” Eungwang mummed softly, bending down to kiss the tip of Felix’s nose.

Felix flushed lightly, before he smiled up at his boyfriend. He gave the other a gentle pat on the cheek, holding his hand there for a moment. As the sound of the students filled his ears, he pulled his hand back, giving Eungwang another smile before turning at leaving.

Eungwang watched Felix go, moving towards the side so he wouldn’t get in the way of the heard of students that were making their way towards his direction. He stayed there for a while, watching Felix until he disappeared from sight, and then some.

He pulled out his phone, checking the time. He still had a few hours to kill until it was two, so he figured he could wander the town while he waited. Not like it would help him wait much, but it was better than going back to his apartment where there was nothing for him to do but sit and read or sit and watch the television.

Eungwang randomly picked a street, and started walking down it. He found a street vendor pretty early into his walk, so he bought a quick snack to eat while he killed time. He slowly started to walk in the direction of Felix’s house, not wanting to be too close at the moment, but not wanting to be too far away when two o’clock rolled around.

He wandered like this for a couple of hours, when out of the corner of his eye he saw something that made him pause. It was a flower shop. He made his way over, pausing in the doorway to look over the flowers before making his way inside.

His hand trailed against the wall as he made his way through the shop, looking for something. He didn’t quite know what he wanted, just that he would know it when he found it. He continued to browse, trying to find the right bouquet.

“Are you looking for a specific type of flower, sir?” Someone asked behind him.

Eungwang turned around and found himself staring down at an older women, whom he assumed was the owner of the small store. She looked kind enough, so he figured he could ask her for help. After all, he didn’t really know anything about flowers, so maybe she could help him narrow it down.

“Uh, actually I’m looking for a bouquet miss. I don’t really know what I’m supposed to be looking for though,” he admitted.

“Well, what is the bouquet for,” she asked, a pondering look crossing her features.

“My significant other. We haven’t really been together too long, but I wanted to show them my appreciation and cheer them up,” he said with a smile, thinking about Felix.

She paused in thought for a moment, mumbling to herself combinations of flower Eungwang had no idea even existed. He hoped she would be able to find something for him based off his rather shitty explanation. He just wanted to get flowers for Felix, but he honestly had no idea what to get.

“I think I have an idea,” she muttered.

Eungwang watched her turn on her heel, making her way through the shop with the familiarity that only someone who had worked at the shop for years could possess. He saw her grab flowers from all around the store, the start of a bouquet forming in her hands.

“Would you like a vase?” Eungwang heard her ask as she grabbed what appeared to be the last of the floors.

“Sure,” he nodded, not really knowing what difference it would make.

“Good choice sonny,” she said, smiling at him as she began to arrange the flowers.

Eungwang watched in awe as a beautiful bouquet began to form in front of him. While it wasn’t something he would have thought he would be buying, what with the colors mainly being pale pinks and whites, he couldn’t deny the beauty of the bouquet that was being built. It was somehow what he had been imagining.

“Your girlfriend is a lucky girl. Not many young men today buy their girlfriends flowers just to cheer them up and tell them they care,” she said, trying to make small talk as she arranged the bouquet.

“Yeah… They are pretty special to me already, so I want to do everything I can to help them, even if it’s just making them smile,” he replied, making sure to stay gender neutral when referring to Felix.

While it was getting better, he knew there was a long way to go before he could be openly gay without being judged. He knew that there was a really high chance that if he obviously corrected her, she would refuse him service for having a boyfriend.

“What a good boyfriend you are,” she said with a laugh. “Well, this is about done. I’ll go and ring you up.”

Eungwang followed her over towards the register, watching her wrap a bow around the vase. He winced a little, seeing the high price, but Felix was definitely worth the cost. He just hoped the other liked the flowers.

“Thank you very much miss,” he said softly, paying for the flowers. “I hope you have a good day.”

“You too,” she replied, waving him out of the store.

Eungwang carefully made his way towards Felix’s house, pausing briefly on the side of the road to check the time. With the speed he would have to walk to make sure he didn’t drop the flowers, he would make it to Felix’s a little after two. Perfect.

He made a brief detour along the way, figuring it would be better to come with a gift instead of showing up with nothing like he had last time. He walked into the nearest store, buying a small cake that he figured Felix’s grandmother would like, before continuing on his way.

The walk was a little longer from the store than expected, what with him having to pause a couple of times to readjust the flowers—which were surprisingly heavier than he had thought they would be—but he eventually made it to Felix’s house. He placed the flowers on the ground next to the ground, making sure they were out of sight before he pulled his phone out and sent Felix a quick text that he was out front.

Felix didn’t disappoint, and was quickly out opening the gate for Eungwang. There was something off about him though. He had a hat pulled low over his face, and a mask covering the lower half of his face, his clothing lose and different from what he had been wearing before, covering most of his body and neck. Eungwang paused, tempted to say something, but he figured it would be better not to cause a scene outside.

He sent Felix a bright smile, holding up a hand to tell the other to wait a second, before he grabbed the bouquet and walked inside the gate. He handed them to Felix, much to the obvious shock of the other.

“You don’t have to say anything—I wanted to get them for you,” he quickly said, knowing Felix would probably object to his gift.

Felix looked as if he was going to argue, but he just sighed and accepted the vase. He moved the vase to one hand, lacing the fingers of his now free hand with Eungwang’s and pulling him inside the house.

“Thank you for the flowers,” Felix muttered, his voice hoarse and not its usual pleasant deep tone.

Felix glanced down at their hands, noticing the plastic bag hanging around Eungwang’s other wrist. It took him a second before he pieced together what it was for, and then promptly lead his boyfriend in the direction of where his grandmother was sleeping in the living room.

“Grandmother,” he muttered as loud as his throat would allow as he gently shook her shoulders. “Grandmother wake up.”

Slowly, she began to wake up, her face twitching slightly before she opened her eyes. She looked up at Felix, glancing confused between him and the vase of flowers in his hand, before spotting Eungwang standing behind Felix. She looked as if she was about to ask something, when her eyes widened in understanding, her mouth hanging open.

“I brought you a cake grandmother,” Eungwang said, slightly nervous.

He knew he was being pretty obvious with his affections for Felix, so it wouldn’t take much for someone to piece two and two together. He glanced to the side, seeing Felix tense up in realization as well.

 _Shit, I’m so stupid_ , he thought to himself, hoping they were both somehow wrong and she had just forgotten something.

“You can just set it on the table over there,” she said blankly, still trying to come to terms with what she had just figured out.

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Eungwang awkwardly separated from Felix, turning to set the cake on the small coffee table in the living room. He discreetly grabbed Felix’s hand again, squeezing it in support for whatever his boyfriend was planning on saying.

“Grandmother—“

“Why didn’t you tell me Felix?” She asked, her voice quiet. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Felix stood there, his shoulders shaking as he stared down at the ground, his hands clenched tightly. Near silent sobs could be heard coming from him. Eungwang gently ran his thumb over the other boy’s knuckles, about ready to say something when Felix spoke up.

“Please don’t hate me grandmother,” Felix sobbed out, his shoulders shaking. “Please don’t.”

The groan of the chair filled the room, the only sound besides Felix’s quiet sobs, as Felix’s grandmother stood. Her hand came up, and Felix flinched, expecting a slap. Instead, her hand just gently cradled his face, wiping his tears away.

“I could never hate you Felix,” she murmured softly, wiping another tear away. “I may take a little while to get used to this, but I could never hate you.”

Eungwang gently squeezed Felix’s hand again, silently supporting him. He knew how hard it was to come out to your family, especially unexpectedly. He was just really happy that Felix’s grandmother seemed to be taking the unexpected news well.

“You don’t hate me grandmother?” Felix asked, sniffling.

He looked up, and for the first time Eungwang could fully see the upper part of Felix’s face. One of his eyes was nearly swollen shut and was already turning dark from the surrounding bruises, and the other had a small nick underneath.

“Felix, you’re my baby boy—I could never hate you no matter what you do,” she reassured, smiling softly, before turning to Eungwang. “Would you mind taking him to his room? I’m sure you’re much more familiar with this kind of situation as his…boyfriend?”

Eungwang nodded, pulling the flowers from Felix and placing them on the table. He quickly returned to the still panicking boy, pulling him into a tight one-armed hug and sending a bittersweet smile in Felix’s grandmother’s direction, before gently leading Felix towards his room. He felt the other boy flinch, so he immediately loosened his hold, remembering there were probably bruises there.

The trip was slightly awkward, but he eventually got them into Felix’s room. He closed the door behind them, gently sitting Felix down on his bed and laying him down. Once Felix was settled, Eungwang crawled onto the bed, settling behind Felix and pulling him into a loose hug that shouldn’t upset his ribs, but still provide the contact the other boy obviously needed.

“I’m really sorry Eunnie,” Felix muttered, still crying.

Eungwang just shushed the boy, nuzzling against his neck in what he hoped was a comforting matter. He stayed like this until Felix had calmed down a bit, not wanting to upset Felix further or aggravate his injuries.

“I’m the one who should be sorry Felix. Friends don’t give each other flowers, or walk in holding hands. I shouldn’t have done that Felix,” Eungwang admitted.

Felix rolled over, staring up into Eungwang’s eyes. He gently pulled his mask down, his lip split with heavy bruising. Eungwang leaned in and kissed the top of his forehead, hating seeing his boyfriend like that, and hating himself even more for not being able to do anything about it.

“I could have said no Eunnie,” he mumbled, his voice still hoarse and broken, as he nuzzled against Eungwang’s chest, hiding his face. “I’m really sorry for dragging you into this though. You don’t need to be dragged into all of my problems. I understand if you want to break up,” Felix continued.

Eungwang stiffened, surprised by what Felix was suggesting. He pushed himself back a little, so he could properly hold Felix’s face, making sure the other would be looking at him the entire duration of the conversation.

“Felix, I’m your boyfriend—I’m supposed to support you through the good and bad. There’s no way I could leave you alone after something like that, especially since I’m partially to blame,” Eungwang explained, hoping it sunk in.

“But—“

Eungwang gently leaned down and kissed Felix, shutting him up. He held the kiss for a moment before he pulled back, looking Felix in the eyes. He watched the tears silently stream down Felix’s face as he stared up at Eungwang in awe.

“Felix, I _want_ to be there for you—I want to help you when you need it. Whether that’s helping you come out, or helping you patch up your bruises, or just sitting there watching you do your homework until you admit you’re stuck, I want to be there for you,” Eungwang continued, hoping Felix saw how much he already meant to him.

Eungwang saw a few more tears leave Felix’s eyes as the other continued to look up at him. He saw Felix nod, however small it was, before the other once again buried himself against his chest, this time wrapping his arms tight around Eungwang.

The two of them stayed like that for a while, content to just hold the other after what had just happened. Eungwang’s hand slowly came up, lightly stroking the back of Felix’s head in what he hoped was a soothing manner.

“I do actually kind of need help with my math homework—calc is a bitch,” Felix said, trying to make a joke after the very intense moment they had just had.

Eungwang frowned at hearing Felix’s voice. It was still very hoarse and broken sounding, made worse by crying. He looked down at wear he could see the collar of Felix’s shirt tugged down, noticing hints of bruising. He couldn’t see the full amount of damage from his position, but what he could see angered him. He quickly smoothed out his features, not wanting to upset Felix further.

“Lucky for you, math was my best subject when I was in school. I aced calculus,” Eungwang teased.

Felix looked as if he was about to reply when he realized something. He immediately sat up, bowing his head at Eungwang, and ‘oh shit’ look twisting his features in worry.

“I’m so sorry! You must have thought this entire time I was being really disrespectful. Fuck we’ve been dating like a month and I didn’t even realize you were my hyung…” Felix quickly apologized.

Eungwang let out a startled laugh, sitting up as well. He clutched his stomach, a large smile overtaking his face as he continued to laugh. Felix just looked at him, panicked, not quite understanding what Eungwang was laughing about.

“Oh my god, you’re such a cute little nugget Felix,” Eungwang managed to get out in between laughs. “I really didn’t mind. I thought it was cute that you didn’t know, so I didn’t bother to correct you. Besides, they don’t really have an English equivalent, do they? I didn’t think it was fair to hold you to that when you were raised abroad,” Eungwang added, his laughter finally dying down.

“Still though, you’re my hyung. I should have known,” Felix continued.

“I really don’t mind,” Eungwang replied with another chuckle, lightly shaking his head.

He leaned over and lightly kissed Felix’s forehead, pulling the other boy in for a quick hug. He playfully messed up Felix’s hair, smiling when the other squawked at the action. Felix really was too cute for his own good.

“Hyung,” Felix whined out, pouting up at Eungwang.

Eungwang flushed, looking away from Felix. _Fuck, I’m really gay_ , he thought to himself, trying to keep his thoughts PG.

Felix just shook his head, smiling softly at his boyfriend. And Eungwang said he was the cute one. Although, Eungwang made the mistake of showing Felix that whining out ‘hyung’ affected him, because Felix was definitely not above using it against him. He was about to tease his boyfriend further, when he realized something.

“Hey, Eunnie-hyung, it’s really quiet,” he muttered hoarsely.

Eungwang paused, wondering why Felix would suddenly be concerned about the house being quiet. You would think that that would be a good thing. Based on the little that he knew about Felix’s dad, he figured that loud sounds would probably upset Felix, so he didn’t really understand why his boyfriend looked upset.

“Isn’t that a good thing though?” Eungwang asked, confused.

“We always leave the radio on for my grandmother. She only turns it off if she leaves the house or goes to bed. We have thin walls—I can’t hear the radio,” Felix spoke quickly, his voice cracking under the strain.

Eungwang eyes widened, before he stood up, pulling Felix off the bed with him. The two of them made their way out towards the living room, checking to see if Felix’s grandmother had decided to take a name in her chair and had turned the radio off.

The room was empty.

They rapidly searched the house, trying to see if she had maybe gone to another room. Felix tried calling out for her, but his throat hurt too much to get out something louder than a normal conversation tone. He checked her room and the living room twice, still finding no trace of her.

He grabbed Eungwang’s hand, pulling him out of the house and towards the gate, completely disregarding the fact that they were both still in their house slippers and that his ribs were aching. He absentmindedly grabbed his ribs as he walked, hoping nothing bad had happened to his grandmother.

“Felix,” Eungwang called out, trying to get his attention. “Hey, Felix!”

“I can’t find her,” he muttered, his eyes searching ahead as he sped up. “I can’t find her Eunnie.”

Eungwang abruptly stopped, the motion tugging on Felix’s arm and causing him to stop as well. Felix turned back to look at him, a slightly hurt expression filling his eyes. Eungwang gently grabbed his shoulder, turning Felix so that he faced him fully.

“Felix, baby, you need to calm down first,” Eungwang said gently, rubbing soothing circles into Felix’s shoulders. “I hate to say this, but you need to contact your dad. We won’t be able to find her with just the two of us, and it’s too early to call the police. I’m gonna go that way—I’ll call you if I find anything,” he added, pointing in the direction he was planning on going.

He figured they would cover more ground if they spilt up, and he had the feeling that Felix didn’t want him to meet his dad right away, especially under these circumstances. If Eungwang was being honest though, no circumstances were good circumstances to meet Felix’s father. He had the feeling that he was going to have to refrain from punching the bastard in the face when they met.

Felix nodded, before limping towards his house, the pain of his ribs no longer pushed aside in the fervor to find his grandmother. He walked to his room and grabbed his phone where he had left it, slowly pulling up his father’s number. His fingers hovered over the call button, before he gently pressed the button, bringing the phone up to his ear.

* * *

 

                “What the fuck Felix,” his dad shouted at him, the only thing holding him back from going further was the fact that Eungwang was in the room as well. “You were supposed to stay home and look after your grandmother—how fucking hard is that to do? Jesus fucking Christ.”

Felix just sat on the couch, his head bowed as his dad continued to yell and pace in front of him. Eungwang gently rubbed Felix’s back, making sure to keep his hand out of sight of Felix’s dad. While his grandmother had taken it surprisingly well, Eungwang had a feeling that Felix’s dad would be another story.

“Sir, we were in his room. Felix has been here since classes ended. I came here to help him study—he never left,” Eungwang said softly, seeing as Felix probably wasn’t able to talk right now.

“Who the fuck are you anyways? What the hell were you doing in my house,” Felix’s dad spat out, turning to glare at Eungwang.

“I’m Eungwang. Like I said sir, I came to help your son with his homework,” Eungwang replied, his stance firm from where he was sitting on the couch next to Felix.

“So you got a fucking tutor, huh Felix? And how the fuck do you think we’re gonna pay for that,” Felix’s dad growled out, changing his target back to Felix.

“I’m helping him as a friend—I never expected money,” Eungwang bit out, trying really hard not to beat the shit out of Felix’s dad.

Eungwang continued to discreetly rub Felix’s back, hoping it would help calm him down. He glared up at his boyfriend’s dad, watching as he continued to pace. He was nowhere near happy with the man, but he would take the angry pacing over Felix continuing to get yelled at.

Felix’s dad eventually pulled out his phone, calling the people who he thought his mother would go to. He growled under his breath every time he was told she wasn’t there, his pacing becoming brisker and less fluid.

“Jesus Christ, nobody wants to help a guy find his own fucking mother,” Felix’s dad growled out after calling the last of his relatives.

“Maybe she went out to eat? She’s been mentioning that bibimbap sounded good the last couple of times I’ve been here,” Eungwang suggested as soon as he remembered the fact.

“Do you know where,” Felix asked suddenly, lifting his head for the first time since his dad had come home.

“I’m sorry,” Eungwang muttered softly to Felix. “She didn’t tell me where—just that she used to get it for your dad.”

Felix’s father’s head shot up, staring at the two of them before he darted out of the house. Felix stood up as well, and Eungwang stared at the two of them confused, before getting up and following the two of them out. He made sure to shut the door behind him before he turned, having to jog a little to catch up with the other two.

* * *

 

Felix’s grandmother thank the clerk, grabbing the bag of takeout. She had thought it would be a nice treat for Felix, and she figured sitting down and having dinner with him and his boyfriend would be a good way to show that she really did support their relationship.

She stumbled back slightly, the bag weighing more than she thought, when someone caught her elbow and held her in place. She looked back, seeing a young man in a nice suit holding on to her and keeping her upright.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile as she straightened up.

“It was no trouble,” the young man said. “Are you okay grandmother?”

She continued to smile up at him, pleased to find that the younger generation wasn’t completely doomed with men like him and her grandson’s boyfriend in it.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Do you need help on the way out?” The young man asked, concerned.

“I think I can manage. I appreciate the thought though,” she said, standing up.

She smiled at him again and gave him a small wave, before making her way out the restaurant. She hummed to herself on her way home, pleased to have met another kind young man, and glad the restaurant wasn’t too far away from home.

“Mom!” She heard someone called out.

She looked up, trying to figure out who was shouting, despite knowing they probably weren’t calling out to her. She looked further down the street and saw her son running towards her, Felix and Eungwang in tow.

“Grandma we were worried,” Felix mumbled when they were in front of her, pulling her into a tight hug. “I didn’t know where you were.”

* * *

 

                Changbin popped a bite of the bibimbap into his mouth, nearly moaning at the taste. It had been a long time since he had eaten it, and while professional chefs could make it, the taste just wasn’t the same as buying it from a mom and pop place.

                He glanced up, eating another bite as he saw Minjun entered the room. Changbin motioned towards the other plate he had put out, before going back to enjoying his own dinner. He really had been craving it, and it was just as good as he remembered.

                “I thought you had a blind date tonight,” Minjun muttered, looking down at his plate.

                “I did,” Changbin replied, his mood instantly souring.

“Must have been bad,” Minjun continued, taking a bite of his food.

“I do these to please my mom—you know I don’t like women. There’s no point in giving them false hope,” Changbin bit out.

He was getting tired of Minjun bringing the dates up. He knew that it wasn’t ideal—to be dating someone and having them regularly go on blind dates—but that’s what the situation was and Changbin had made it very clear he wasn’t interested in women. Not to mention the situation with his mother. He was getting real tired of his boyfriend trying to out him without listening to anything he had to say.

“So, bibimbap?” Minjun questioned, still chewing his one bite.

“If you don’t want it don’t eat it,” was Changbin’s response as he pulled Minjun’s dish towards him.

“I’m going to go to the gym with Siwon.”

Changbin’s jaw clenched as he stared down at his food. He shoveled another bite into his mouth, chewing harshly before swallowing, content to ignore Minjun for the rest of the night.

“Jealous?” Minjun taunted. “Don’t worry. I may be hungry, but I’m a picky eater.”

Changbin stood up suddenly, his hand slamming loudly on the table, the bowls jumping slightly. Minjun flinched at the noise, the confident look on his face falling to a look of panic and slight fear as Changbin glared up at him.

“I’m fucking done Minjun. Get out of my fucking house—now!” Changbin yelled out.

“Jesus Christ Changbin,” Minjun spat back, storming out of the dining room.

Changbin just stared down, his head ducked and his palms flat on the table, his breathing heavy. His hands shook as he curled them into fists. Distantly he could the front door slammed, but only his labored breaths filled his ears.

* * *

 

Eungwang scanned through the crowd coming out of the door, perking up when he saw a head of familiar orange hair. He waved at Felix, noticing how tired his boyfriend looked. Eungwang frowned, not liking how dead on his feet Felix looked.

“Here,” he said, handing his boyfriend a coffee he had luckily bought on his way to pick him up from class.

“Thanks,” Felix deadpanned, his voice deep as he took the coffee.

“You should sleep more Felix,” Eungwang started, concerned. “I know you have an exam coming up and you have to study, but your health is important too.”

Felix just looked up at him as they started to walk away, a sad look in his eyes. Eungwang slowly reached down and grabbed Felix’s hand, running his thumb slightly over the smooth skin in what he hoped was a relaxing manner.

“Hey, it’s Eungwang-ah!” Someone called out in front of them.

“It is!” Said someone else, coming to a stop in front of the couple.

Felix quickly dropped Eungwang’s hand, glancing away from Eungwang and the two guys that just walked up to them.

“How’s it going man?” One of them asked.

“Good,” Eungwang replied politely, edging closer to Felix.

“Dude, we should go and catch up. Want to get lunch or something?” The other one asked, pausing slightly before continuing. “You can bring your friend if you want.

Felix glanced up slightly, looking at the group before he started to shuffle away. He felt like he didn’t really belong, and it would probably be better if he left anyways.

“Maybe later,” Eungwang called out, before turning to catch up with Felix.

He jogged slightly, trying to quickly catch up with Felix. He tried to reach for the other’s hand again, but pulled back when he saw his boyfriend flinch. He frowned again seeing this, hoping nothing had happened again with Felix’s dad.

“Where are you going babe?” He asked, slightly concerned.

“Sleep,” Felix muttered.

“You’ll mess up your sleep schedule,” Eungwang said softly.

“Yeah, I know. I have to finish my painting though,” Felix continued, leading them in the direction of his house.

“Just make sure you get to bed at a good time tonight Felix. I know you’re worried about it, but I’ve seen you draw before Felix, I know you’ll get this done in time,” Eungwang continued, trying to be encouraging.

Felix just hummed, continuing to lead them to his house. He didn’t say a word the entire time, his pace slow, more of a shuffle than anything else. He hadn’t even touch the coffee Eungwang had given him.

“I have no inspiration,” he muttered. “I’m so tired Eungwang-hyung, so very tired.”

Eungwang started to trail behind, realizing that Felix needed some time alone. He frowned though, worried about his boyfriend’s mental state. He didn’t want to push anything right now though with the mood Felix was in.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, not really knowing what else to say.

* * *

 

Felix tossed and turned, wanting so hard to just fall asleep. It had been a really long day, and he ached, and he just wanted to sleep, but he couldn’t. He rolled over, flinching slightly as it aggravated the bruises lining his ribs.

He opened his eyes, the sudden urge to cry striking him. He didn’t know why he wanted to cry, he just was. A silent tear rolled down his face, and his lips quivered as he tried not to sob out loud. He sat in the dark, feeling alone and worthless, crying.

It wasn’t all bad though. With the tears had come inspiration, and he soon found himself in front of his easel he had stashed in his room, tears running down his face as he finished the last painting in the series he had created, the early morning light streaming in behind him.

It was a lonely, bitter painting in shades of gray and blue. In the lower third a figure was curled, looking for all the world alone and desperate, having lost all hope. The rest of the piece was nearly empty, and ominous, something sinister creeping in at the edges of the upper portion of the painting.

Feeling proud of his work, he made his way into the living room. He walked in front of his grandmother, the only one awake at the time, not even realizing he tear tracks dried on his face, his face puffy.

“I finished it,” he muttered, his voice cracking and rough from crying all night.

“The painting?” She asked, turning towards him.

He nodded, going to stand in front of his grandmother, sitting down.

“I’m so proud of you kiddo,” she said with a smile.

“You want to see it?”

She smiled at him, and gently stood, holding on to him as he walked her the short distance to his room. He pushed open the door, sitting her on his bed while he dragged his easel closer to her, letting her see the painting he had somehow managed to finish.

“It’s beautiful Felix, but it’s kind of dark. Are you sure you can turn it in?” She asked, concerned.

It really was a beautiful, that couldn’t be denied, but she worried it was a little too dark, a little too close to home for Felix. She didn’t want to dissuade him from following his dreams though, because he truly was talented.

“I’ll be fine—I can draw anything I want for this project,” he said, looking at the painting.

She shook her head, realizing he didn’t understand the true meaning of her question. She really was worried about him.

“Does it have a name?”

“ _Weary_ ,” he admitted in English, leaning against the wall.

It wasn’t the best name for a painting, but it was fitting to him. He had been so tired when he had made the painting, at there was a certain look about the figure that expressed a sort of exhaustion that settled deep in your bones.

“I think it’s a good name,” she said, turning to look at her grandson who was just barely awake, his eyes heavily.

She shook her head lightly, pushing him so he was laying down. He grumbled slightly but she just shushed him, grabbing one of his blankets and spreading it over him, not wanting her grandson to get a cold. She gently lifted his head and placed a pillow under, not wanting his neck to kink either.

* * *

 

Felix walked out of the classroom, walking briefly down the hall and going to the side to lean against one of the walls. He pulled out his phone, unlocking it and accidentally clicking on the photo app. He paused, staring at the photo that was pulled up—the one he had taken of ‘Binnie’ at the pool.

His fingers hovered over the picture for a moment, shaking slightly, before he swiped to the next picture, one of the ones him and Eungwang had taken together. He smiled a bit, although for some reason it felt forced. He flipped through a few more pictures of him and Eungwang, and some of the photos he had snuck, before he closed the app and opened his messages.

_I have my final for the semester tomorrow. Wanna have an ice cream date sunshine boy?_

* * *

 

Eungwang paused, the rag he was using to wipe down the counters put down in favor of grabbing his phone out of his apron. He turned it on, thinking his boss wouldn’t mind since they were about to close, and saw a message from Felix.

A wide smile stretched across his face, seeing the message. He sent back a cute emoticon, before putting his phone in his pocket and taking his apron off, folding it and putting it away as he put the rag back in its place.

“I’m leaving ten minutes early. I’ll make it up on my next shift,” he called out as he made his way to the backroom to grab his backpack, knowing his boss would be cool with him leaving early.

He gave the rest of the employees a small wave as he made his way out of the coffee shop, quickly booking it to the ice cream shop Felix and he usually went to. The smile never left his face, despite the kind of long walk.

Sooner than expected, Eungwang found himself in front of the shop. He opened the door, quickly spotting Felix already sitting at one of the tables sucking on a spoon, his eyes wide.

Eungwang just shook his head as he made his way up to the counter, ordering his own bowl. He waited by the counter for a couple of minutes, taking the bowl when it was ready, before making his way over to where his boyfriend was sitting.

“Can I sit here with you cutie?” He asked, another smile teasing the corners of his lips.

“I don’t know—there’s plenty of open seats,” Felix said, gesturing to all of the empty tables around them.

“Then I’ll go,” Eungwang teased, slowly walking past Felix.

He paused when he felt a hand gently grab his wrist, and tried not to giggle over how cute his boyfriend was being.

“Well, maybe you can stay.”

Eungwang just shook his head, before turning back to the open seat across from Felix. He set the bowl down, turning his back to his boyfriend as he put his backpack in the chair next to him, making sure nothing was going to fall out. When he turned back around, he saw Felix reaching into his bowl, some of the pudding topping missing and Felix’s cheeks puffed out from food.

“I see how it is,” Eungwang said, holding back a laugh. “You only want me for my pudding.”

“But see, you wouldn’t be here getting the pudding if it wasn’t for me,” Felix argued, stealing another bite. “So it’s my pudding hyung.”

Eungwang stared, enamored with the little shit that he got to call his boyfriend. He quickly snuck a bite of his own ice cream, looking down so Felix’s wouldn’t see the dopey grin that was sure to be stretching across his face from Felix’s antics.

“I’m really sorry about the other day,” Felix started, the tone of their date changing. “It was a bad day for me, and I’m under a lot of pressure with school right now, and I took it out on you.”

Eungwang glanced up, his eyes widening in surprise. He hadn’t been expecting the apology at all, and he hadn’t even been mad at Felix. He actually figured it had been his fault and that he had been being too clingy.

“I—I don’t know what to say Felix,” he said, realizing he needed to continue to explain when he saw the fear in the other’s eyes. “That really means a lot. I don’t think it’s something you needed to apologize for though—I completely understand.”

It was Felix’s turn to look shocked. He knew he had been kind of a dick that day, and it had been unfair of him to take it out on Eungwang. He had honestly been expecting the other to be at least a little upset and not so understanding.

“Really Felix, you didn’t need to apologize. I’ll accept it anyways though,” Eungwang added, smiling.

Felix continued to stare shocked, only reacting when he felt something cold touch his lips. Unconsciously he opened them, snapping out of it when he tasted the sweet ice cream. A small smile started to form as he looked up at Eungwang.

They continued like this for a while—feeding each other bites of ice cream, or not so sneakily stealing a bite of the other’s. The mood quickly improved, and soon they were back to smiling at laughing at how much of an adorable idiot the other one was being.

“You want to sit in on my exam with me tomorrow? My professor should be cool with it so long as you don’t talk while the test is out,” Felix asked, a hopeful look in his eyes. “It’s at nine in the morning. I expect you to come.”

“Yes, sir,” Eungwang said, saluting Felix as he tried to keep his face blank.

Felix laughed, shaking his head at his boyfriend’s childish actions. A smile remained on his face for the rest of the date, and sometime after. He had a feeling that tomorrow was going to be a good day.

* * *

 

Time passes at a crawl

I glimpse you

But chains hold me back

They hold you too

Tugging us apart

Until a horizon remains

Full of grays and fading light

I give up on you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this took a bit longer than expected, but it's a monster of a chapter, so... Anyways, happy birthday Phy! I know its the next day for you, but it's still the 25th so fuck you.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I love you Felix. It hurts me to see you like this,” Eungwang whispered, carefully stroking Felix’s hair before he too fell asleep, exhausted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get out, but I've been super busy. Thank you guys for understanding! Join my discord server https://discord.gg/m536ttH where you can yell at me, interact with Felix and Eunnie, give me requests, or any number of things. Also, I’ve been listening to a lot of Hero’s Soup and shit from Turandot, so there may have been some extra angst thrown in.

**Gray Skies with a Hint of Gold**

**Chapter Four**

Felix pulled open the door of the café in front of him. It was the one Eungwang worked at, and the two of them decided that Felix would come over after he had finished his exam and keep Eungwang company during his upcoming shift. Felix felt kind of bad that he would probably end up distracting his boyfriend at work, but Eungwang had reassured him that he was the only one on the closing shift that night, and business was slow lately, so Felix would be a welcome distraction from the boredom that would come with having nothing to do.

Felix glanced around the café, looking for his boyfriend. He had been told Eunnie would be waiting there before his shift started, just in case Felix got let out early. Felix’s eyes passed over the crowd, settling on Eunnie’s familiar face. A pair of round glasses were perched on his nose as he sat reading a book.

A smile quickly formed on Felix’s lips, and he took a step forward to surprise Eunnie, when he glanced to the side and noticed a girl sitting in front of his boyfriend. While normally he would be fine with this, he trusted his boyfriend, he noticed her phone was out and being used to sneak pictures of Eunnie.

A sudden wave of possessiveness washed over him, and he near stormed over to the table Eunnie was sitting at. While he was sure she meant no harm from it (since he too had taken photos of someone he had thought was cute), it did nothing to stop the rush of emotions that flushed over him in that moment.

“Miss, it’s not polite to take photos of people without their permission,” Felix bit out when he reached the table, his voice deeper than normal.

He saw the girl jump, not expecting to be called out for what she had been doing. She glanced up at him, her eyes widened in embarrassment. Eungwang looked over as well, a smile quick to form on his lips, before it faded into a slight frown as what Felix has just said finally registered.

“I’m sorry!” She exclaimed, rapidly standing up and leaving the café.

“Felix, that wasn’t nice,” Eungwang lightly chided, putting his book away.

“I know,” Felix muttered, looking down.

Eungwang just sighed and stood up, grabbing Felix’s shoulders and lightly shoving him into the now vacant seat. He shook his head slightly, walking the two steps back to his own seat and sitting back down.

“Anyways, how did your test go?” Eungwang asked.

“Fine,” Felix grumbled, still pouting.

“Are you still jealous?” Eungwang asked, holding a chuckle at bay.

He really thought it was adorable that his boyfriend got jealous so easily. Felix’s actions kind of reminded him of a grumpy cat—as if he was trying to fluff himself up to look intimidating, even though everyone around him knew he was a giant ball of fluff.

“Maybe,” Felix replied, still looking at the floor. “She took a lot of pictures of _my_ boyfriend.”

Eungwang just shook his head, a smile blooming once again on his face. He reached across the small table, gently grabbing one of Felix’s hands. He ran his thumb lightly over the other’s knuckles, hoping it would help calm him down.

“Well, how about this—my shift starts soon, but after I’ll take you out to dinner to celebrate you taking your exams. You can have me all to yourself,” Eungwang said softly, excitement edging his voice. “Oh! And you can choose where we eat,” he added as an afterthought.

“Okay,” Felix murmured, finally looking up. “On one condition though—I’m the only one who gets to take photos of you.”

By this point, Eungwang could no longer hold his laughter in. He quickly covered his mouth, hoping it would at least silence the boisterous chuckles at least somewhat in order to not disturb the few remaining customers that had stayed after the lunch rush was over.

“Yes, sir,” he said cheekily between laughs.

Felix was smiling once again. He reached over with his free hand and lightly ruffled his adorable boyfriend’s hair, wondering how he had been lucky enough to somehow snag someone as wonderful as Eungwang was.

“Well, I’m going to get ready. Just let me know if you need anything—it’s all on the house,” Eungwang said, standing up.

Felix gave his boyfriend’s hand a quick squeeze before letting go, making sure to give Eungwang an extra bright smile before he started his shift. He watched as the other made his way to the back of the café, staring at his back. Once Eungwang had left his line of sight, he bent down to grab his bag, pulling his current sketchbook and pencils out.

He started to sketch some of the objects in front of him, but he quickly grew bored. Soon, he started to sketch the customers in the shop, figuring it would be good practice to work on speed. He got into a rhythm, trying not to spend more than fifteen minutes per person. The people slowly started to leave however, and soon only a couple of people were left in the café.  

Felix glanced up, seeing his boyfriend wiping down the counter of the café. He hummed, lightly biting on his pencil, before he lightly brought it down, starting the basic sketch of Eungwang. The sketch soon turned into more than the quick little doodles he had been doing earlier, and he soon found himself engrossed in the drawing.

The soft _clink_ of a cup being sat down filled the nearly empty café, however Felix did not look up. He just continued to lightly sketch out Eungwang’s face, his tongue sticking out a little as he tried to capture the look of concentration his boyfriend had displayed. Someone cleared their throat softly behind Felix, and he jumped, just barely stopping himself from leaving a large streak of graphite across the paper.

“Who are you drawing that has you so enamored cutie?” Eungwang asked amused. “Was it the girl from earlier? She was cute—not nearly as cute as you though,” he continued.

Felix shook his head, playfully glaring up at Eungwang. He really couldn’t believe his boyfriend sometimes.

“ _Fucking Christ you scared me,_ ” Felix said in a heavy accent, trying not to break into a fit of laughter.

Eungwang flushed, looking away from Felix, who in turn looked confused. His laughter died as he stared in slight concern at his boyfriend.

“Did something happen?” Felix asked.

“You sound really hot when you speak English,” Eungwang muttered, still looking away in embarrassment.

Felix started to flush as well. Nobody had ever told him before that they found him speaking English sexy. Well, at least nobody he actually cared about. Most Koreans wanted him to speak in Korean and didn’t care about his native language unless it came time for a test. The one time he had ever been complimented on his English was by a girl from America who said his accent was sexy, but he could have cared less. He had never been told just speaking English was hot.

“Uh, what’s this?” He asked awkwardly, his face still flushed as he pointed towards the cup in front of him.

Eungwang finally looked back towards him, confusion narrowing his eyes. He glanced around Felix, trying to figure out what his boyfriend was talking about when his eyes settled on the cup he had set down earlier.

“Oh, we have about an hour until closing, so I thought I would make you a drink. It’s on the house,” he muttered, still embarrassed by what he had admitted.

“Thanks,” Felix muttered, his voice deep.

He gently pulled the cup towards him, taking a small sip without really checking as to what it was he was drinking. Eunnie could have put the dirty water from when he was cleaning the counters and Felix would have been none the wiser. His eyes widened in surprised though as a rich chocolate taste filled his mouth.

“Holy shit Eunnie, this is the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had,” he exclaimed, lifting the cup up to take a bigger sip of the delicious drink.

Eungwang smiled, his face scrunching up cutely and his eyes imitating his mouth in a smile of their own. Gone was the awkward atmosphere from a few moments prior as he watched Felix enjoy the drink he had specially made.

“I figured with you being stressed from exams, something special would be nice,” he admitted.

Felix stood up and hugged Eungwang, burying his face in the other’s neck for a brief moment before letting go. He reached up and lightly pecked Eunnie’s cheek, glad the only other person in the café was a college student who appeared engrossed on a last-minute assignment, before he sat back down, the flush from earlier back on his cheeks and neck.

Eungwang squeaked, not expecting the small kiss. He glanced around, making sure the only other person in the room hadn’t seen, before he turned to glare back at Felix. He wasn’t really mad at the other, it was more just the principle of not doing risky things like that in public.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” Eungwang grumbled, his cheeks a bright red as he made his way back to the counter to wait out the rest of his shift.

After Eungwang left, Felix continued to work on the drawing, wanting to finish it and give it to his boyfriend by the time they left. He hummed, lifting his cup to drink more of the sweet beverage to find that he had already drank it all. He frowned and set the cup down—he really wanted more.

Time passed, and Felix soon found himself done with the impromptu sketch on Eungwang—he was actually really proud of how it had turned out. He pulled out his phone and realized the café was about to close. Felix glanced to the side, watching as Eungwang asked the sole customer to leave the shop for the day, before wiping down the tables and stacking the chairs.

Eungwang quickly came by Felix’s table and grabbed the cup that was on the table, pressing a quick kiss to his lips as he passed by and went to the back to, what Felix assumed, clean the cup. Felix started to pack his bag, ripping the sheet he had been drawing on from his sketch book before putting all his drawing materials away. He brushed off the table before stacking the chairs at the small table, figuring he would help out his boyfriend.

Hands soon found there way around his waist, and he smiled, pleased to be alone with his boyfriend, at least for a moment. He leaned back, allowing Eungwang to support him. He turned his head back, catching his boyfriend’s lips in a sweet kiss.

“What do you want for dinner sweetie,” Eungwang near whispered against Felix’s lips.

“You,” was Felix’s immediate response.

Eungwang chuckled as he leaned in and gave Felix another peck. He briefly let go of Felix, turning his around so he wouldn’t hurt his neck from the angle, before his hands settled back on his boyfriend’s waist, pulling him closer.

“While I wouldn’t be opposed to that, you really do need to eat,” Eungwang murmured.

“Then… I want meat,” Felix said, his voice husky as he pulled himself even closer to his boyfriend.

Eungwang flushed, not at all prepared for how deep Felix’s voice would go. This boy would be the death of him. It would be a good death though, even if Felix was likely to kill him several times over before he even turned thirty.

“Meat it is,” Eungwang muttered, swallowing.

Felix smirked up at his boyfriend, before grabbing one of Eunnie’s hands and turning around, tugging his dumbstruck boyfriend outside. Eungwang absentmindedly shut the lights off on their way out, too entranced by Felix to really pay attention to what he was doing.

The cold air soon woke Eungwang up, and he quickened his pace so Felix was no longer dragging him. Eungwang tugged the two of them down a street, directions to a nearby barbeque place that was actually pretty good filling his mind.

“So, how do you think examines went?” Eungwang asked, figuring since they did have a bit of a walk some small talk wouldn’t hurt.

Felix’s expression turned dark, his lips pulling into a frown as he unconsciously started to squeeze Eungwang’s hand. Eungwang looked down at Felix in concern, not quite understanding why Felix look that down after taking an exam, after all Eungwang knew this was his last exam and Felix was a bright kid, but he was no less worried for his boyfriend.

“I’m sure you did fine Felix,” Eungwang murmured to Felix, give Felix’s hand a quick squeeze as they walked.

“I don’t know though Eunnie,” Felix muttered quickly. “What if I failed one of my exams?  The only one that I know I didn’t fail was English, and even then, I probably fucked up on most of the grammar.”

Eungwang stopped, pulling the two of them to the side of the street so they wouldn’t be in anyone’s way. He gently reached forward with his free hand, cupping Felix’s face.

“Felix, sweetie, you didn’t fail any of the tests. You’re a really bright kid, and I was there with you as you studied your ass off—you did _fine_ ,” Eungwang stressed.

 “My dad’s going to make me drop my major though if I get anything less than a B—said he wouldn’t pay unless I change my major to something that can actually land me a decent job,” Felix said, looking away from his boyfriend.

Eungwang grit his teeth, his jaw clenched in anger. He really hated Felix’s asshole of a father. He didn’t understand why it had to be that hard to support your child—there were so many paths Felix could take to pursue art, and while it wasn’t a traditional job choice, Eungwang still though it was a parent’s job to support their child and their endeavors. Then again, Felix’s father was an abusive piece of shit and Eungwang couldn’t wait for Felix to be able to leave.

“Fuck your father. If you fail a test, I’ll fucking pay for your classes,” Eungwang said between clenched teeth.

Felix finally looked up at Eungwang, his eyes widened in surprise. While he knew Eungwang was supportive of his choice in major, he hadn’t been expecting him to offer to pay for any of his classes.

“You can’t do that hyung—college is expensive,” Felix said quickly, trying to let Eunnie know that he was fine and that he would figure something out, even if it meant giving up on his dream.

“Felix,” Eungwang started, dropping Felix’s hand to fully cup his face, “you’re worth it. I would be glad to pick up a second, or even a third job, if it meant that I could support you.”

Felix sniffled, fighting back the sudden urge to cry. He had never expected to end up dating someone so sweet, and who generally cared for him. Only his grandmother had ever been this kind to him before, and she was family.

“Aw, don’t cry baby,” Eungwang crooned, giving him a quick hug, before tugging him back on to the street. “We still have to go eat—I want to treat my boyfriend for all the good grades he’s going to get,” Eungwang added, finally smiling.

Felix just looked away, figuring it was better not to say anything. He laced his fingers together with Eungwang, lightly squeezing his hand as he used his free hand to wipe his eyes free of any potential tears that could fall.

Eungwang just shook his head, leading them to the restaurant. He couldn’t believe he had met someone so brave. Gently, he rubbed his thumb across Felix’s knuckles, reassuring his boyfriend as they walked that he would be there and support him no matter what.

* * *

 

Felix and Eungwang walked down the empty street, the sky dark. Felix hummed in content, full from his meal and currently loving his boyfriend. Exams aside, today had been a very good day for him.

Eungwang smiled down at Felix. Dinner had been just as wonderful as his company, and he was really looking forward to the rest of their night together. He gentle tugged their hands to the side, allowing them to be far enough off the road to not worry about traffic.

Felix looked up at Eungwang from where they were now standing, a warm smile tugging at his lips to match his boyfriend’s. In the light Eungwang could see Felix’s freckles cutely scrunch up as his smile grew. His boyfriend was absolutely adorable.

“Thanks for tonight,” Felix said softly, his voice low.

Eungwang just shook his head, chuckling lightly. He reached out with his free hand and pinched one of Felix’s freckled cheeks, tugging gently on it.

“You’re such a cutie,” Eungwang said, still chuckling. “I’m glad you enjoyed dinner baby. It was seriously no problem though—I’m more than happy to take you out to dinner anytime you want to.”

“I’m not just thanking you for dinner though, hyung, but for everything—you’re always so willing to help me out whenever I need it. I just—I can’t think of the right words to expressed it,” Felix muttered.

Eungwang smirked, leaning forward slightly. Felix was just being too cute, and he couldn’t resist the chance to tease his boyfriend.

“Just say you like me,” he said, staring into Felix’s eyes as he continued to lean in.

“What?” Felix sputtered out.

“Well, you like drawing me, don’t you? And talking to me, and studying with me, and having me teach you math, and eating with me. You like it when I just sit there with you, or when I talk with your grandmother—the list could go on and on.”

Felix stared up at him, his eyes widening slightly before his smile from earlier slowly started to bloom again. He leaned forward, closing the distance between him and Eungwang to place a light peck on the other’s lips.

“I like you hyung,” he admitted, pulling back slightly. “I really like you.”

Eungwang pulled him in for a tight hug, Felix’s head buried against his chest. He placed a light kiss on the side of his boyfriend’s head, not caring at all that they were still in public.

“I really like you too,” he murmured against Felix’s head, biting his tongue to not follow the confession with an, ‘I love you,”—it was too soon for that. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Felix looked up at him, stars in his eyes and dusted across his cheeks. He laced his hands behind Eungwang’s neck and tugged gently down, kissing him. Felix smiled, before going in for another, and another, and another.

“You won’t lose me hyung—I promise,” he whispered against Eungwang’s lips, before going in for another kiss.

The bright flash of headlights blinded them, ruining the moment. They both pulled apart, their eyes wide in fear. The car passed by, not stopping. Felix let out a sigh of relief, not even realizing he had been holding his breath. That had been close.

He ran a shaky hand through his hair, looking around to see if anyone else could have seen the two of them. His eyes darted around the dark street slightly paranoid. He looked back to Eungwang, seeing the grasp of panic starting to leave his features.

Eungwang gulped, looking towards Felix. His boyfriend didn’t look like he was fully present as he continued to look around the street, his hands visibly shaking. Heavy pants could be heard from Felix, and Eungwang’s face pinched in concern.

“Hey baby, lets get you home, okay,” he muttered softly, gently holding out a hand to place on Felix’s arm.

Felix just nodded, flinching slightly when he felt Eungwang’s touch. He allowed Eungwang to lead him down the street, his eyes still searching for anyone that could see them.

“That’s it baby, that’s it. We’re going to turn left up ahead, okay? I’m going to take you home.” Eungwang continued to reassure Felix as they started walking towards his house. “It’s going to be okay baby, he won’t know.”

* * *

 

Changbin adjusted his tie as he walked out of his room, making sure it was straight. His footsteps near echoed on the hardwood floor, and he noticed that the house was oddly quiet this morning. Odd.

He walked out into the living room, turning to go into the kitchen through the dining room. As he passed the table, a lonely plate with what appeared to be a small breakfast and a mug in front of it caught his eye. He leaned over, grabbing a note that was next to the plate.

 _I’m leaving on a trip. I should be gone about three days. Don’t wait for me,_ the note read.

Changbin sighed, his jaw clenching in annoyance. Of fucking course Minjun would leave without fucking telling him. Figures. He shook his head, crumpling the note and resting it on top of the plate, before grabbing it and the cup.

“Good fucking riddance,” he muttered, walking into the kitchen to toss the note and the sad looking breakfast that had been on the plate.

* * *

 

“Who did it?” Changbin growled out, staring at a room full of his employees. “Who didn’t proof their fucking work before submitting it?”

He glanced around the room, his eyes narrowed. He had walked in this morning and checked his email, finding a major company has canceled their order because someone on his team had fucked up. It already was a shitty day for him, but this fucking killed it.

“Who lost us the fucking deal? Own up to it now, and I maybe won’t fire your ass,” he sneered, royally pissed. “We lost a lot of fucking money because of you. I expect you over at the company on your fucking knees begging for forgiveness by lunch.”

A soft knock filled the room, breaking the tension as a door opened. A younger recruit popped their head in, glancing around the room at all the bowed heads, before slowly pushing the door the rest of the way open and walking in.

“And who are you?” Changbin stood up, walking towards the new person, intimidating them despite his small stature.

“I’m Song Eunsoo—human resources sent me sir. I can come back at another time,” the new recruit muttered, slowly taking a step back.

Changbin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Where’s Siwon?” He asked, turning to face his team.

“He asked for a few days leave sir,” one employee muttered, her head still bowed.

He sighed again, before shooing his team out of the room. They all bowed, leaving as quickly as possible. He turned to look back at the new boy, gesturing at one of the now vacant seats as Changbin sat back down at the head of the table.

A resume was passed his way as the new boy took a seat to his left. He quickly glanced through it, seeing nothing that would deter him right away.

“What year are you?” He asked, looking up from the resume.

“I’m in my second-year sir,” the boy said more confidently, now that Changbin appeared less mad.

“Have you interned here before?” He continued.

“Yes, sir! I got a position during my second semester in the first year, and I loved my experience here. I plan on working here after graduation,” the recruit said, seeming to become more excited.

Changbin hummed, giving a more in depth look at the resume in front of him. The kid seemed like he would be a good worker, and he already had experience in their company. Maybe the kid could be more fucking competent at his job than Changbin’s actual fucking employees.

“Can you start today?”

The boy nodded, a quick ‘Yes, sir,’ leaving his lips. Changbin gave a single nod, standing up and signaling for the new intern to stand as well.

“Good. I want a flight for Jeju booked tomorrow, and some tourist destinations. The duration is five days. I’ll look over what you found later,” he said, dismissing the intern and walking out the door, set to try and fix his employee’s mistakes.

* * *

 

Felix slid his shoes off, positioning them facing away from the door. He glanced up, seeing Eungwang had done the same. He pushed the door open, sunlight streaming into the dark room. On the couch, Felix could see his dad sitting, a torn open letter in front of him.

Felix swallowed.

“Have a seat Felix,” his father muttered, no hint of emotion in his voice. “You too Eungwang.”

Felix ducked his head, looking at the floor as he slowly made his way into the living room. He took the closest seat to the door, not wanting to disappoint his father (and instinctually wanting to be as near to an exit as possible). He could feel Eungwang settle on the arm of the chair next to him and felt a comforting hand at his back.

“Do you mind explaining this?” His father growled out, tossing the letter in Felix’s direction.

He didn’t look up to see what the letter was for, too afraid to anger his father or make a mistake. He had learned it was better to stay silent when his father was like this—his father tended to say more hurtful things, but he was done with him sooner.

“I thought I told you to get a fucking real job or study something that was actually fucking useful, but here I find you’re still in fucking art classes and you’re taking their fancy little tests like you’re an actual artist.”

The words echoed in Felix’s ears, and he ducked down even further, trying to make his body as small as possible. Maybe his father would see how pathetic he was and leave him alone for once.

“Where did you get the fucking money for this?” His father asked, his tone rising.

“Grandmother gave me some, and Eungwang hyung—”

“You fucking took money from your grandmother. Jesus Christ I never knew I raised such a useless bastard—taking money from his fucking grandparents,” his father spat out, nearly standing up. “And you,” he snarled, pointing at Eungwang, “you fucking enabler. I won’t have you fill my son’s head with lies—he needs to learn how to live in the real fucking world.”

Felix curled up further, tears streaming silently down his face. He felt Eungwang bristle beside him, and he gently nudged him, subtly shaking his head ‘no.’ He wasn’t worth Eungwang getting defensive over—this was normal for him, if not more subdued than usual.

“Where do you think you’re going to get money from, huh?” His father continued. “Answer me you little shit? How are you going to pay for your fancy little art supplies and your classes? Because you sure as hell aren’t burdening this family again with your stupid little hobby.”

“If you would take your fucking head at of your ass, you would see just how talented your son is. Guess intelligence skipped a generation, huh,” Eungwang growled out, standing slightly in front of Felix now.

Felix’s father fully stood up, his face flushed red with anger. In what seemed like seconds Felix had pushed Eungwang behind him, a loud _smack_ echoing throughout the room as he crashed to the floor, his head hitting hard against the floor. His father kicked him to the side, grabbing fistfuls on Eungwang’s shirt and pinning him against the wall.

“You fucking bastard,” his father spat out, slamming Eungwang against the wall.

Felix slowly sat up, his head throbbing and his vision blurry. Weakly, he grabbed his father’s leg, trying to tug him away, but was only met with another kick as his father shook him off.

Eungwang tugged at one of the hands grabbing onto him, breaking Felix’s father’s grip. He twisted, enough to loosen the grip of the other hand and pushed the other man off of him. A loud crash was heard as Felix’s father stumbled and fell over the nearby chair.

Quickly, Eungwang bent down, helping Felix up. Felix stumbled, obviously out of it as he leaned all his weight against Eungwang. He rushed the two of them out of the house, taking on as much of Felix’s wait as he could. He walked them to a busier street nearby, hailing down a taxi.

Felix leaned against Eungwang, where they were going, he had no idea. All he knew was that his head hurt, and the car was making him feel really nauseous. He groaned, closing his eyes in an effort to help his stomach, but he had no such luck. He could already feel the bruise that was sure to form across his cheek, and blood filled his mouth from where he had probably bit his tongue or his cheek. He couldn’t quite tell which one it was.

“You’ll be alright baby. You can come home with me and meet Peanut, and I can cook you food and take care of you,” Eungwang whispered at his side, placing a gentle kiss against his forehead. “I’m not letting you go back,” he vowed.

* * *

 

Eungwang sat under a tree reading a book, an order of chicken next to him. He was waiting for Felix’s interview to be over—the other had stubbornly insisted that he make the interview, even though it had barely been a few days since he had left his father’s house and the large nearly black bruise that spanned his face was just barely covered with makeup—along with his brother to show up.

“Boo!” A voice exclaimed from behind him.

Eungwang looked up, a large smile stretching his lips. It had been a while since he had seen his younger brother.

“Hey, little bro,” he greeted, patting the ground for Eunsoo to sit beside him.

“Woah, chicken!” His little brother cheered, eagerly grabbing tasty treat. “You’re the best hyung ever!”

Eungwang chuckled, setting his book down and scooting the chicken closer to his brother for ease of access. He also took out a package of napkins, being sure to hand them to Eunsoo as well. His little brother could be quite the child sometimes.

“So how did your interview go?” Eungwang asked, still amused.

“I got the position again,” Eunsoo exclaimed around a mouthful of chicken. “The director was really scary when I walked in, but he’s not so bad actually!”

Eungwang just shook his head at his little brother. He was only a couple of years younger but was still very childish. Eungwang found it cute.

“I’m glad,” Eungwang said, proud of Eunsoo.

“You would really like him hyung. He’s pretty cute even though he acts like he’s not, and he’s really young!”

“I’m already seeing someone, but thanks,” he said with a chuckle, a warm smile on his face thinking about Felix.

“You’re seeing someone?” Eunsoo asked in disbelief, his eyes wide. “When did this happen? Hyung, tell me,” his brother whined.

Eungwang looked up, watching the light filter through the branches above him. The smile continued to grow, stretching his lips into a happy grin.

“A few months ago. I wanted to wait to introduce him to the family, but I guess the cat’s out of the bag now,” Eungwang answered, his voice soft.

Eunsoo hummed, a knowing look crossing his features. Whoever his brother was dating must be special then—usually Eungwang told him right away when he was dating someone, and Eungwang had never liked someone enough boy or girl to bring them home to meet the family.

“He must be pretty great then,” Eunsoo continued, curious to see what else his brother would say.

“Yeah, he is. His name is Felix. He’s from Australia, so he has a really cute accent when he talks. He’s just cute in general. He’s a really talented artist too—I’ve never seen someone so good before,” Eungwang gushed, stopping, before he went too in depth for all the reasons he was really gay for Felix.

It was Eunsoo’s turn to chuckle. His older brother really was a dork. It was nice to see him as happy as he was right now too.

“He sounds like a keeper hyung. I can’t wait to meet him.”

* * *

 

Felix flinched, hearing the front door close. He had come back to grab some of his things and explain to his grandmother why he wouldn’t be in the house for a while, so that meant his father had come home early for something.

Luckily, it seemed his father wasn’t in the mood to do anything today. He just passed by where Felix and his grandmother were sitting, shooting a glare in his son’s direction. Felix let out a sigh, glad nothing would happen for today.

Felix’s grandmother looked between the two, slightly confused. She had heard a fight a couple of days ago, but she hadn’t heard anything since. Now neither was speaking, but that might have to do with her still being in the room with Felix—her son tended to be a bit gentler in his beatings when she was around.

“Why did he just walk by?” She asked, gently grabbing one of Felix’s hands.

He slowly lifted his head, and she had a better view of the dark bruise spread across his face, and the small tear in his lips. Her expression softened. She really wished there was more she could do for her grandson in these situations.

“He’s mad grandmother, he just doesn’t want to hit me in front of you,” Felix muttered softly.

She hummed, her suspicions confirmed. She squeezed the hand she held gently, trying to show her support of him. She wondered sometimes how her son had become so fucked up, and how he had still managed to give her the perfect grandson.

Felix slowly stood up, his head slightly raised. He gave her a sad smile before he ducked his way into the kitchen. She could hear the water running and him rummaging through the cupboards, until there was nothing. It was like that for a couple of minutes before she heard a slight whistle, the pouring of water, and then the creak of the floorboards. She hummed, realizing what he was doing. Soon, she heard the steps of her grandson, and she reached out, grabbing the steaming cup of tea. She frowned, noticing she was the only one who had a cup.

“I’m going to leave for a little bit grandmother—until things calm down here,” he near whispered, finally looking up at her, his eyes wide. “I’ll be with Eungwang hyung, so you won’t have to worry. I came to grab some of my things today.”

She set her cup of tea down on the table, reaching out to cup her grandson’s cheek. Her touch was gentle, her thumb gently rubbing over the cheekbone that wasn’t a ghastly shade of purple as she said, “Do what makes you happy Felix.”

* * *

 

Felix stared at the table in front of them, hearing the sound of a plate being placed on the table by their server. He could feel his hand being squeezed tight, and he glanced to the side, seeing Eungwang with a locked jaw.

This was a really awkward birthday party.

The crinkling of tissue paper could be heard as what Felix assumed to be a bag was placed on the table. He wasn’t a hundred percent sure though, since he was actively trying to avoid looking up in the direction his father was sitting.

“Open it mom,” Felix’s dad said.

She hummed, the crinkling of the tissue paper filling the air. He glanced up at her, being careful not to look at his father as she pulled out a pretty hideous bright red hat.

“It’s, uh… It’s lovely?”

“I saw it and thought of you,” his father said, actual sounding kind of proud.

Felix had to stifle a chuckle.

Felix’s grandmother gently placed the hat back in the bag, sliding it over towards his dad. She was smiling, but Felix could tell she was going to bury that hat in the back of her closet as soon as she went back to the house.

Slowly, Felix bent down. He let go of Eungwang’s hand in order to grab the carefully wrapped present he had prepared for his grandmother. He pulled up the gift and placed it in front of his grandmother, making sure the right side was facing up.

She unwrapped it with care, making sure not to tear the beautiful paper. Gently, she pulled the gift from the wrapping paper, a beautiful framed painting of a in her hands. She gasped, not expecting the level of detail in the painting, showing a lonely girl in the moon reaching out to flowers that curled in on themselves, away from her touch.

“Felix, this is incredible,” she muttered in awe, holding the frame close to her chest as she looked to her grandson, tears in her eyes.

From where he was looking, he could see the hints of a glare forming on his father’s face. Not wanting to risk catching his eye, Felix quickly ducked his head, giving his grandmother a nod in response to her thanks.

He flinched, feeling someone’s arms wrap around them. He looked up, his eyes wide in fear, before the soft smell of perfume hit his nose—it was his grandmother. Slowly, he brought his arms around her, hugging her back.

“This truly is amazing Felix. Someday soon, the world will be praising my grandson for all the talent he has,” she murmured against his neck before pulling back, giving him a parting smile before turning to the food.

They ate for a while in silence, Eungwang spooning food onto Felix’s plate when his dad wasn’t looking. His grandmother sent him a few smiles as they ate, amused with how Eungwang was mothering her grandson—it was cute.

After a while, she got up and excused herself to the restroom. She stumbled slightly, much to the concern of everyone in the room, but she waved off any help.

Felix sat at the table, the atmosphere even more awkward than before. If it wasn’t for his grandmother’s birthday, he wouldn’t be here. He really didn’t want to be around his dad, and he could tell that Eungwang and his father were itching to go at each other, the only thing stopping them being the fact that they were in public.

Five or so minutes passed like this, the three men all picking at their food as they tried to remain civil in public. Felix started to push around his food, glancing at the time on his phone. His grandmother had been in the bathroom for a while. He tried not to be too concerned, not wanting to bother her on her birthday, but soon the time slipped past fifteen minutes and he couldn’t help but worry.

“I’m going to check on grandmother,” he whispered, getting up from his seat without looking at his father.

He heard the chair next to him slide back and felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll come with you,” Eungwang said, turning the two of them and leading them out of the room towards the bathroom.

Felix slowly walked side by side with Eungwang, the two stopping in front of the women’s restroom. He nervously glanced up at his boyfriend before he steeled himself and slowly pushed the door open.

“Grandmother? It’s Felix. Are you okay?” He called out, making sure not to go in the restroom itself.

Eungwang and Felix waited with bated breath, their ears straining for a reply. They heard nothing. Eungwang tried calling out as well but met much of the same response.

Felix looked around the hall the bathroom was in, seeing no one approaching. Carefully, he crept into the women’s room, hoping no one would come and think he was a pervert. He glanced around, hearing the steps of Eungwang entering behind him. He looked towards the stalls first, seeing nothing, before he looked towards the sink. There, collapsed on the floor, was his grandmother, blood staining the counter and pooling around her head.

“Grandmother!”

* * *

 

Changbin stood over his new intern’s chair, Siwon by his side as they read over his data. They usually liked to check over an intern’s work when the assignment was big, just to make sure all the entries were formatted correctly, and the information was correct before sending it out. They used this as both a learning device for the intern, and a check to make sure nothing damaging for the company was sent out.

And boy were they glad they checked Eunsoo’s report beforehand.

“We can’t send this,” Changbin deadpanned from his position over the chair.

“We need to fix the data,” Siwon continued, leaning down to point out the wrong figures.

Minjun stared from where he was sitting at one of the other desks, waiting for Changbin to hurry up and leave. He had planned a date night and thought it would be sweet to pick his boyfriend up from work, but he had been waiting here for the past hour as they tried to fix the intern’s mistakes.

“I’m sorry sir, I’ll get to fixing it right away,” Eunsoo said, disappointment in his voice as he quickly started fixing the data the way Siwon was showing him how to.

Minjun sighed, pulling out his phone. He checked the time and noticed they were far too late for any of the plans he had made.

“I’m done—I quit,” he muttered, standing up. “We missed the dinner reservation and the movies already over halfway through. I’m done Changbin, I’m going home.”

Changbin pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. He really didn’t want to deal with Minjun’s drama right now when he was trying to fix something that was crucial to his job.

(He though Minjun would care more, since he didn’t work by choice. Changbin was the one who brought home all the money that Minjun spent on entirely new wardrobes that he only used for a week, or the not-so-secret dates he took Siwon on.)

“I’m sorry baby, but I’m kind of busy right now. Shit happens,” Changbin grumbled, his voice laced with annoyance as he waved Minjun out of the room, turning back to help Eunsoo correct the document.

Minjun’s faced pinched, flashing in anger before it settled. He just shook his head and made his way out of the office, content to catch a cab and go out and treat himself, since Changbin obviously had better things to do.

* * *

 

Felix slowly entered the house, the silence somber. He carefully crept inside the entryway, placing an offering of his grandmother’s favorite food at her shrine as he payed his respects. A single tear slipped out, trailing down his molted yellow cheek as he prayed for his grandmother.

He glanced to the side, seeing his father doing the same. It seemed like they agreed for once that fighting could be saved for a later date.

A soft sniffle could be heard, but whether it was from him or his father, Felix could not tell. Another tear trailed down his cheeks, followed by another and another. Soon, soft sobs escaped Felix’s lips, sounding loud in the silent room.

He really missed his grandmother. Despite having Eungwang by his side, there was a gaping emptiness spreading in his heart. His grandmother had been the only good constant in his life—supporting him and raising him when his parents could not. She was always there for him, but now she was gone.

Felix felt his father leave his side, and soon heard the creak of what had been his grandmother’s favorite chair. A louder sob escaped his lips as he was reminded that his grandmother would never sit in that chair again. That she would never sit and knit as she listened to him complain about how a drawing wasn’t turning out like how he had imagined it would or give him a knowing look as he gushed about his latest crush. She would never cook for him again or tell him that she thought his paintings were beautiful. She would never patch up his cuts or broken bones again or tell him how much she loved him.

She was gone, and he would never see her again.

Filled with memories of his grandmother, Felix darted out the door, trying to escape before he completely broke down. He hailed a taxi to Eungwang’s apartment, loud sobs filling the cab as he tried to hold it together until he could make it back to the safety of his boyfriend and his cat Peanut.

She was gone though, and he was never going to get her back.

* * *

 

Felix downed another shot, the alcohol burning its way down his throat. At least he could feel it though—it was better than the constant numbness he felt.

Eungwang pushed a glass of water his way, a concerned look on his face. In the back of his mind, Felix realized that he was being kind of shitty and he knew that he was worrying Eungwang, however the drunk part of him told him to just keep drinking, that maybe it would take away the numbness.

He had gone back to the house today, wanting to pay his respects to his grandmother again, when he saw a note taped to their front door.

_I’m going back to Australia for work. Watch the house while I’m gone. Maybe change your major or do something productive with your life while I’m gone, although I’m sure that’s too much to ask of you. The house better be in tact by the time I return._

There wasn’t even a signature.

Felix didn’t remember much at that point, just that he had wandered around for a bit before going into a bar. He vaguely remembered the bartender asking for his phone and someone to call, so he gave the name of the only person who hadn’t left him yet.

And here they were.

Felix downed another shot, his throat now numb as well. He sat there for a moment before rushing to the bathroom, his stomach disagreeing with what he had had to drink.

He hunched over a toilet, the floor dirty as he puked up the night’s misfortunes. A sob escaped his lips, but it was drowned out in the violent retching as his stomach cleared itself. And soon, the world was back to being numb.

Eventually, he made it out of the bathroom. He leaned against the wall, the bar in sight, but his body felt like lead and he didn’t know if he could take another step. He was just so fucking tired.

A hand turned his face, and he was expecting it to be Eungwang even though he could see his boyfriend from where he was sitting at the bar. He didn’t stop the hand though, just went with it. It was so much easier.

“Oh, what a pretty thing you are,” the guy cooed, a smirk forming on his lips. “Say, are you here alone?”

“Boyfriend,” Felix managed to get out, his gaze blank.

“Oh, that makes this even better then.” The man leaned in closer, his lips near Felix’s ear. “Say, why don’t you come home with me and I can take care of you. Doesn’t seem like boyfriend is sweetie, so he shouldn’t mind.”

Felix just stared blankly ahead, his tongue too heavy to speak, his body too heavy to move, as the man’s lips ghosted over his cheeks aiming for his lips. Part of him knew he should be pushing the man away, but he was just so tired. So, so tired.

Suddenly, the weight of the man was pushed off on him. Felix slowly glanced up, seeing a panting Eungwang in front of him, his face twisted with anger. Felix just slowly slid down the wall, curling in on himself when he reached the bottom.

“He said he had a fucking boyfriend asshole,” Eungwang growled out.

The man just held his hands up, mumbling a quick ‘my bad,’ before he turned around and left, not wanting things to get physical. He sighed over his lost prize—the boy had been really cute and definitely would have taken his mind off of his shitty boyfriend cancelling his date.

Eungwang glared after the man as he left, making sure he was out of sight before crouching down in front of Felix’s curled up form. A frown tugged at his lips as he stared at his boyfriend, before he helped him up. Eungwang paid for the rest of Felix’s bill before he the led the other outside, near carrying all of Felix’s weight as they made their way home.

“I’m sorry,” Felix muttered as they walked home, but Eungwang just shushed him and continued to lead the way home.  

A small cat greeted Eungwang when they finally made it home, circling around Eungwang’s feet as he led the way into the bedroom. He laid Felix down, before turning to the bathroom and wetting a washcloth. He walked back into the room, his mood lifting slightly when he saw the cat curled up on his boyfriend’s chest, Felix absentmindedly petting it.

“Thanks Peanut,” Eungwang muttered, hoping the small cat could help cheer Felix up.

Back at Felix’s side, Eungwang gently began to clean up the sweat and hints of vomit that clung to his boyfriend’s face. About halfway through, he noticed Felix and closed his eyes, and soft breaths began to mingle with Peanut’s gentle purrs.

“I hope things get better for you baby,” Eungwang murmured, leaning in to kiss Felix’s forehead.

He made quick work of the rest of the cleaning, tossing the dirty washcloth in with the rest of the dirty clothes. He stripped his pants off, turning off the light and crawling into bed with Felix and their cat. He gently curled himself around Felix, not wanting to disturb Peanut.

“I love you Felix. It hurts me to see you like this,” Eungwang whispered, carefully stroking Felix’s hair before he too fell asleep, exhausted.

* * *

 

Life is strange

This is not a new idea

But when I meet someone

Someone who is kind

And soft and pure

We fall in love

Or at least they do

I try

But you still linger

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I was going to post this when I had everything written, but a friend suckered me into posting the first chapter early. Updates will be kind of slow, so sorry in advance. Hope you enjoy my regret fic!  
> Edit: I was notified there was some confusion with the assistant's name (It was too similar to Seungmin's) so I changed it to Siwon.


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